Rewind Feelings, Rewind Thought, Rewind Hope
by DD Agent
Summary: What if the cylons didn't attack at the Decommisioning Ceremony? A tired Laura Roslin bumps into Bill Adama one day, and they start to fall for each other. But is Adar willing to let her go? AU Story
1. Chapter 1

Rewind Feelings, Rewind Thoughts, Rewind Hope by DD Agent

_What if the Cylons didn't attack the Colonies after the Decommissioning Ceremony? _

_One month later in Caprica City, newly retired Bill Adama bumps into Laura Roslin, struggling with her illicit affair with Richard Adar. The two become friends, before slipping into something more. But Adar is not willing to give up Laura that easy, and neither is the cancer tugging at her._

_Working with Presidential aide and wannabe viper pilot Alex Charlton, Bill begins to woo Laura to his side, and recover his relationship with son Lee. Will Laura's cancer defeat her before Bill has won her over? Will Adar be taken down a peg or two by matchmakers Lee, Alex, Kara, Billy and Saul? Will the crew of the Galactica ever reunite?_

**Disclaimer: **Alex Charlton and the scenario is of my creation, but unfortunately Laura, Bill, Kara, Lee and Tigh belong to RDM and others. They can keep Adar.

**Spoilers: **Up until half way through the mini series, season 2 "Epiphanies"…if you don't know anything about Laura and Bill…

This is AU, and entirely Bill and Laura centric. Not a clean fic, straight from the off actually. Alex is an OC, and reviews are love. Apart from that, lets go on with the story!

XXX

Laura Roslin would consider herself relatively attractive; there had been no complaints so far. Her auburn hair was thick and soft, her green eyes bright. Her curves were fine and her skin was smooth. Laura also considered herself an intelligent person as well, which was why she could and could not understand her current actions.

"Oh Laura…" Richard's voice was muffled against the curve of her neck. They were on his desk, aide's unaware that beyond the doors of the President's office he was frakking his Education Secretary. His trousers were around his ankles, her skirt pushed up to her hips and he was buried inside her. At last he cried out in pleasure, collapsing against Laura's head before grinning.

She smiled, she couldn't do anything but. Laura couldn't help it. She had thought her job was up; her life was going to be turned upside down after their meeting about the teachers strike. But when she had returned from Galactica, Richard had taken her into his office and apologised. She knew that the apology would be short lived, and she would forever be on tenterhooks about things, but it beat being unemployed. Her relationship with Richard was still intact, something she had mixed feelings about.

"If you could have that paperwork on my desk by the end of the day, that would be great. See you later Laura." Smoothing her skirt down, she gave Richard a kiss that he returned passionately before recovering herself and leaving the office.

Outside, she smiled to the aide's milling about and Richard's new assistant Alex. She was a small young thing, often seen spending time with the interns including her own new assistant Billy. Laura could see pictures of her family on her desk, and bizarrely a model viper.

"Everything all right Madam Secretary?" she asked, smiling and pushing her own glasses to the top of her nose. Replying in the positive, Laura walked down the small corridor to her own office and shut the door, shutting out the world. Her skin was still flushed from her encounter with Richard and her heart was beating like a maniac.

She couldn't keep this up, frakking the President behind closed doors, closing off relations with anyone other than him. Standing still and letting the moment pass her by, her body was split in two directions. One side wanted to continue onto her desk and finish the paper work Richard wanted her to do, while the other wanted her to jump into the nearest shower and scrub every trace of him from her body. Why was she so confused over him?

Laura decided to compromise and walk down to the river walk in the city for lunch. It reminded her of before the ceremony on Galactica, swinging her feet in the cold water to calm down. It relaxed her, and she was hoping that the same effect might happen today.

Laura watched as young couples sat beside the water, talking and laughing and enjoying the hot sunshine. A weak smile crossed over her features, turning to a grimace. When she had been a teenager, she had dreamt of falling in love with a handsome man who would whisk her off her feet. Now she was trapped in a torrid affair, caught between fire and flood, illicit romance and losing the job that she loved.

"Great," Laura sighed, looking in her reflection at the water. She felt tired, and she knew that some of that had to do with her personal life, but there was also the word that she couldn't bear to say. Cancer. One month in and she hadn't been back, couldn't go back to the large expansive office and have him tell her that there was no hope. She wouldn't lie lost and alone in a hospital bed with a disease she couldn't dream of fighting eating away at her.

Her thoughts had become melancholy, so Laura decided to return back to the office for a quick bite to eat before starting on Richard's paperwork. Turning around, she smacked into someone, and the suddenness of it all caught her off guard and she lost her balance. Unluckily for her new acquaintance, when Laura began to fall back into the water she grabbed a handful of their shirt and pulled them in after her.

Water went over her head, but eventually she surfaced. She was soaked from head to foot, as was her bag with her phone and the rest of her things. Turning to her companion, she could see that the man she had tumbled into the water with was in a similar predicament.

"I'm sorry, I don't usually haul handsome men into the river," Laura replied, looking into the face of her new acquaintance. He was quite handsome, a few years older than her but he had the most brilliant blue eyes that she had ever seen. He also looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place him.

"Its fine, certainly was a shake up to my day," he joined in with her laughter before helping her out of the river and onto the walkway.

_"I heard you're one of those people. You're actually afraid of computers."  
_

_"I'm sorry that I'm inconveniencing you or the teachers but I will not allow a computerized network to be placed aboard this ship while I am in command. Is that clear?"  
_

_"Yes sir."_

Once back on solid ground, words started to go around Laura's head and she finally figured out where she recognised him. He was Commander Bill Adama, the former commander of the Battlestar Galactica. The man she had butted heads with over the network, the man who could do a speech and put a caffeine addict to sleep.

"Have we met before?" he asked, and Laura had to stifle a chuckle. Bill Adama looked so much different in civilian clothing, a grey shirt and plain trousers that were now soaked. He looked less harsh in natural lighting then he did in the bright lights of a spaceship. He looked good.

"The decommissioning ceremony on Galactica."

"Of course, the school teacher, Laura Roslin wasn't it?" he asked, and her heart sunk a little. Take the man out of the uniform, but the uniform would always be in the heart of the man.

"Yes, the school teacher. I'm sorry for this incident Commander, please forgive me and I wish you a better day then what I'm having." Laura replied curtly, before grabbing her wet bag and turning back to the office. One thing after another, what would happen next?

Bill Adama looked confused for a moment before it struck him what he had said. She had already gone before he had a chance to apologise, and that was when he noticed something floating in the water that she had left behind.

X

"Madam Secretary? There's someone here to see you," Billy announced, giving his trademark smile before noticing that she was half dressed and leaning against a heater.

"Thank you Billy, send them in in about five minutes okay?" Laura replied from where she was. He shut the door gently, and she began preparing to get decent. She had foregone food to do the paperwork, and had decided she would take the other half of her lunch break off at some other time. She found the spare shirt she was looking for and slipped her soaked silk shirt over her head but it got stuck. She tugged at it for a moment and sighed until a pair of warm hands guided the clothing off of her.

"Thank you Billy."

"Close, but no cigar," said a husky voice that did not belong to her innocent new assistant. Turning around, she saw Bill Adama slightly dry and standing behind her. The warm hands belonged to him, and Laura swallowed the thought about how well they had felt on her. The door to her office was closed, and it was only when he turned to look away did Laura realise she was standing in front of him in just her bra and skirt. She slipped on the clean and dry clothing before turning to face the next crisis.

"How can I help you Commander?" she asked, trying to get rid of the trace of anger she felt for the man. _Schoolteacher my ass_.

"You left this floating in the river. I thought I better return it, and offer my apologies for calling you a schoolteacher. You're the head teacher at least."

If anyone else had said it, she would have whacked them with the book they were returning. But accompanied with the handsome smile he gave her, Laura couldn't help but giggle. Maybe his retirement had mellowed the commander slightly.

"Thank you."

_A Murder on Picon_ was one of her favourite novels, but the pages were soaked like nearly everything else in her office. Her mother had given it to her as a birthday gift one year, and she treasured it. Laura was sure that when she would have searched her bag later that night, she would have found it missing and ended up at her kitchen table in tears. But this man, this annoying and still soggy around the edges man, had returned it to her.

"Is there anything I can do to repay you Commander?"

"Lend it to me when you're finished. And maybe a cup of coffee to warm me up. That water gets in everywhere." Laura giggled, and placed the book on the heater to dry the pages. Coffee wouldn't hurt, and technically she did owe him for dragging him into the water with her.

"Got some time free now?"

X

They had gone to a little coffee place just outside her office, far away from the river walk. It wasn't as commercial as it could have been, but it wasn't as intimate as a date would have been. Something which Laura was thankful for, this wasn't a date just a meeting of minds. Telling herself this over and over again wouldn't make her believe it though.

"Edward Prima is a genius," Bill announced, sipping his warm coffee and looking over at the extremely attractive creature in front of him. The first time he had met her, he was looking at the daunting task of retirement and of letting his ship go. She had been just another bureaucrat, a member of Adar's council who he couldn't stand. Now, looking at her, he actually couldn't keep his eyes off her. Their splash in the water had made her hair extra curly, and he wanted to trace his fingers around them. The image of her standing half naked in her office was burned into his retinas.

"Prima is good, but Wallace is so much better. _Forbidden Moonlight_ is such a good book."

"To graphic for my tastes."

"The violence or the sex?" Laura teased, causing him to choke on his coffee before joining in her laughter.

"I've seen plenty of violence…"

"But not enough sex?"

"Definitely not." The way he said it made Laura's cheeks blush. Here was a man who seemed like he was interested in her, so why did she have the sudden desire to run far, far away? A saving grace presented itself as her phone began to ring with a message from Richard. He needed her, or her paperwork. It was only then looking at the clock that she realised that she and Bill had been talking for over an hour and she had gone well over her break.

"I need to go."

"Wait," Bill rested a hand atop hers and she didn't let go. He opened up her fingers gently and wrote his phone number on the palm of her hand. "Call me once you get around to reading Dark Day."

He got out of his chair and went to help her out of hers and into her jacket. Turning around she gave him a smile before seemingly running all the way back to the office to see Richard. A discussion of paperwork, a smile and then a fumble on his desk. Tomorrow things would be the same, thus part of the bitter circle that she was part of. Bill Adama's interruption was very nice, but he didn't belong in her world, and there was no way she would drag him in after her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

She had relented. The morning after her meeting with Bill Adama, she had planned to go into work as normal, talk to Richard and make sure Billy and Alex were getting on all right. But as soon as she woke up, she had felt different. The sunlight had streamed in from her bedroom window, and it felt like a new dawn, as clichéd as it sounded. Opening her hand, she traced the numbers written on there. She hadn't washed them off, every time she had gone to do it, something in her had stopped.

"Time to get up."

First thing she did was get a scrap of paper and write his telephone number down. She didn't want to lose it; there was still something in her that wanted her to call him. A hot pounding shower awoke all her senses, and pumped her full of energy. Opening her wardrobe, she decided against one of her normal outfits, and decided instead for a pair of black trousers and a shirt with cropped sleeves in plum. Her hair was vibrant that morning, and her eyes shone. She felt confident, happy.

On her kitchen table was _A Murder on Picon_, still sitting there, the pages crinkled and crisp. She made a note to go to the bookshop she loved and pick up a new copy to read, while placing this one solidly on the shelf as a memory of her mother.

"Time to go to work."

She left the house with a smile.

X

He hadn't slept that night. It was out of character he knew, but he couldn't get Laura Roslin off the brain. Part of her seemed to enjoy their conversation, but another part seemed to want to get out as quickly as possible. She was a mystery, just like the books she read. Going downstairs to his kitchen, he noted what was on his table: an invitation for an engagement party and a copy of _Dark Day_. Bill had gone to his favourite bookstore in the city yesterday evening and picked up a copy for Laura; even though he was sure he would never hear from her again.

"Never waste a gift," Bill muttered to himself before deciding to head down to the Government building and give the book to her.

Security was what he expected, but after he was searched thoroughly and was revealed to be a Commander in the Colonial Fleet and carrying neither bomb nor gun just book, he was let through. However, he must have gotten turned around somewhere, because he found himself in a secluded area next to a desk outside a large door. A desk that happened to be littered with model vipers.

"Hi, I was wondering if you could help me?"

The girl sitting at the desk turned around on her chair, and her eyebrows shot up when she saw whom it was.

"Commander Adama, sir!" the girl shot straight up from her desk and gave a mock salute at the military official standing in front of her. He gave her a grin, and saluted back. "This is an honour sir, I've read all about you."

"Well thank you, err…"

"Alex, sir. Alexandra Charlton. I'm the President's assistant, sir." Alex gave a smile, extremely happy at the guest who had come to her desk.

"You're interested in vipers?" Bill asked, watching as the girl couldn't help but grin at his words. He also noticed that a girl of about eight or nine was sitting on the top of a raptor in a photograph on her desk.

"Yes sir. My father is a raptor pilot on the Battlestar Columbia, sir," she replied courteously, and Bill then noticed the photo of a man in a pilots uniform standing with a woman and what he assumed to be the young Alex.

"Bryan Charlton? I remember him from when I was XO of the Columbia. You ever flown a plane, Alex?"

"No sir. Always wanted to, never had the chance."

Bill smiled at the young girl in front of him, stuck behind a desk. During the last couple of years of his command, his paperwork had increased but he could always remember the feeling of being behind the controls of a viper. To want but never do…he couldn't imagine the frustration.

"Sorry sir, you wanted to ask me a question?"

"Yes, I'm trying to find Laura Roslin. Do you know where she might be?" he noticed that Alex had turned quite pale at his question. She crossed her arms over her chest and seemed to have trouble coming up with the words.

"Her office is down the corridor, two doors down. Billy should be in the desk out front; he's the perky kid with the large amount of photographs on his desk. Hope that helps."

"Thank you Alex."

Bill couldn't miss the subtle glance she gave to what he assumed to be the outer door of President Adar's office. He gave Alex a nod and moved off into the direction of Laura Roslin's office. He found it eventually, and true enough Billy was sitting at his desk with all his photographs. He also looked vaguely familiar, and Bill believed him to be the one who had accompanied Laura to the Galactica a month ago.

"Hello Commander, can I help you?"

"Tell Laura - tell Ms Roslin that I brought back the book she left at the coffee place yesterday," he explained, before placing _Dark Day_ on the desk and turning to leave the Government building. He didn't want to disturb her, the President was more important than a former Commander, as much as he hated to admit it.

X

When she had returned from seeing Richard, Laura had been surprised to know that Adama had dropped by. She had been even more surprised to see that he had left a copy of _Dark Day_ on her desk for her.

"Did Commander Adama say anything when he dropped this off?"

"No ma'am, he just said to tell you that he was bringing back the book that you had left at the coffee place yesterday."

"Thank you Billy."

Smiling at her assistant, she opened her office door and stood against the large window that her office had. The sunlight was bright in here too, but it just made everything seem too bright, clinical even. Opening the book, she saw that he had written an inscription in the cover.

_To Laura, _

_Hope you enjoy it just as much as I enjoyed our meeting._

_Yours, Bill Adama_

Laura watched the clock, and realised after several minutes of being entranced by the hands that it was time for lunch. Grabbing her purse off of her desk, she took the book and went down to the river walk where she began to read.

X

One Week Later

She had read it twice, she couldn't put it down. The bookmark was scraps of paper, gum wrappers, anything that would keep her place marked. Before she even started to read it again, she would absorb the inscription just inside the cover, smiling as she thought about the meeting in the coffee shop.

Unfortunately, work had kept her busy. _Richard_ had kept her busy, so there had been no chance to call Bill Adama and let her know how she had loved _Dark Day_. It saddened her that her circle of friends had been restricted to just Richard and his wife, which was weird in itself. Sometimes she just wanted to talk things over with another woman, or just spend hours talking in a café over coffee like she had with Bill.

Which was half the reason she was now in her favourite bookshop with Alex Charlton. They had bumped into each other at a deli that Laura liked to go to, and that was when she suggested that they walk together for a bit. Laura was glad to get to know the young assistant, especially as she seemed to be a very interesting person.

When they had entered the bookshop, she had headed straight for the books on technology, right down the alphabet to 'V'. Laura went to the mystery section. Last night while reading a magazine, she had discovered that Edward Prima had another book out. She managed to locate the section, but was distraught to discover that there was only one left. Laura reached for it, but felt her hand brush someone else's, a very familiar someone else's.

"See you've finished _Dark Day_," Bill Adama announced, and Laura couldn't help but smile at his husky tone. It was a voice that was uniquely him, and although Laura didn't want to admit it she had been thinking about that voice rather a lot lately. It was in fact the voice that spoke _Dark Day _to her.

"Twice. Thank you very much for it."

"It was my pleasure to introduce Edward Prima to the uneducated." She hit him for that. A light touch, barely hurting him, playful almost. She took him in, he looked the same as the last time she had seen him, but more comfortable around her. That was good. She felt a lot more comfortable around him too.

"I loved it. You should have waited when you dropped it over, I would have loved to talk."

"It seemed that you and the President were in a meeting, I didn't want to disturb."

"Oh gods, we were just talking about the new Defence secretary," Laura explained, and it was the truth. For once they were discussing something of relevance and not frakking. However, before Bill could respond, Alex had joined them.

"Sweet, they've got a copy of the Colonial Fleet's 50 best pilots! Oh, hello Commander!" Alex announced, giving another salute when she saw that Bill was talking to Laura. He grinned when he saw the copy of the book, and Laura could see a meeting of minds between the two. She couldn't imagine where they had met, but she noticed that Alex seemed a lot livelier when she was talking vipers.

"Am I in there?" Bill asked, and Alex flicked through the book until she came to number 9. She then showed him the double page spread with Lt. William 'Husker' Adama and he matched her grin. Laura looked over Alex's shoulder and gave a coy smile.

"Husker huh? You were quite handsome when you were younger."

"Are you saying I'm not now?" They shared another smile, and Alex decided to leave them alone and go pay for her book.

"I was going to call you and let you know that I had read it, but I got so caught up with everything…" She regretted it; she regretted not telling him how much she loved the book and how much she wanted to talk to him again.

"Its fine, I understand. The more pressing problem is what are we going to do about _Blood in the Snow_?" Bill asked, holding up the last copy of Prima's new book.

"I don't know."

"Tell you what - you can have the last copy if you accompany me somewhere tonight."

"And where would that be?"

"An engagement party. If I don't go with someone I'll end up being involved in drinking games with my already inebriated former pilots. Please, you will be doing me a huge favour. It won't be a date, just a…

"…Favour for a friend. I can do that."

"Good. Pick you up at eight?"

Laura wrote her address down on the palm of Bills hand this time, and she swore her heart began to race the minute her pen touched the soft skin of his palm. Taking the book out of his grasp, she went to go pay for it and find Alex, realising she needed help for tonight.

X

"How do I look?"

"You look fine."

"Alex?"

"They're going to need the paramedics, because Husker is going to have a heart attack," Alex replied, and Laura giggled. She couldn't get the image of Bill 'Husker' Adama out of her head, which was why she had not gone to see Richard that afternoon. Laura felt much better for it, and now she was standing in front of Alex and Billy showing off her outfit. She wanted to do both casual and formal so had opted to wear a pair of black jeans with a white top and a pink shirt over that. She had been worried that it would be a bit scruffy, but with her jewellery and her hair down Laura realised she looked good.

The doorbell rang, and Billy and Alex stood up. He was minus his tie and looked slightly uncomfortable standing in his boss's home. Alex was wearing a Battlestar Galactica baseball cap and a leather jacket. Laura stood up nervously and opened the door to find Bill Adama standing on her doorstep. He looked smarter than he had been earlier that day, and Laura found that the Commander cleaned up rather well.

"You look wonderful."

"Thank you, you don't look so bad yourself. Shall we go?"

"Yeah."

Bill nodded and waved to Billy and Alex inside who were going over some paperwork at Laura's for the evening and were going to stay there until she got back. That way she didn't have to bring any house keys, and there wasn't any chance of losing them. She didn't know where she was going; she was putting her life firmly in Bill Adam's hands.

"Whose engagement party is it?"

"Chief Tyrol and Lieutenant Valerii. They were having a relationship on Galactica before it was decommissioned, and now they've made it public. Good lot of the people from the Galactica should be there."

"Sounds fun."

Bill took them over to the small hotel that the party was being held at, including the large open garden. Stepping through the door, they were directed to the party and she felt Bill slip an arm around her waist. She was glad of his protectiveness; it made her feel like she was welcome there.

"Commander! Hey Galen, the Commander's here and he's brought a date!" Sharon Valerii was a very pretty young woman who was wearing a Battlestar Galactica jacket over her dress. She was joined by a young man who immediately saluted to the Commander before slinging an arm around Sharon's shoulders. They looked very much the happy couple and in love.

"Chief, Boomer, this is Laura Roslin, Laura this is Sharon Valerii, one of my former Raptor pilots, and Galen Tyrol, former deck chief of the Galactica. Congratulations to the both of you. "

"Thank you sir."

They left the happy couple to greet their guests, and they headed to the bar. Many more people came up to say hello to the Commander and even offered to buy them drinks. While Bill talked business with a couple of his pilots, Laura chatted with Felix Gaeta, a former member of the CIC crew. Once it looked like they weren't going to be disturbed for a while, Bill brought them over to a singular table where they sipped their drinks.

"Having fun?"

"I am actually. Thank you for bringing me."

"Believe me, thank you. It's a nice feeling to have the most beautiful woman in the room on my arm."

She blushed at that, and he seemed pleased that he had that effect on her. They watched the room for a few minutes before the band finally started playing a song she liked.

"Want to dance?"

"Love to," replied Adama, holding out his hand so he could lead her to the floor. It was a relatively slow song, so Laura linked her arms around his neck and his hands spanned her waist and brought her closer to him. They slowly turned around on the dance floor, oblivious to the chuckling of one Colonel Tigh and Lieutenant Thrace who were standing by the bar with a collection of drinks around him.

"This feels nice."

"Mmm hmm."

They continued to turn on the floor, getting closer with each beat so eventually Laura was resting her head on Bill's shoulder.

"How the hell does the old man score a girl like that?" Bill heard Kara ask Tigh which he responded with a scathing remark. Bill just held Laura closer to him. Any doubts he had about this woman that he now held in his arms were gone.

The song was over before they knew it, and they broke apart reluctantly. It was only then that Bill realised what the time was and decided to take Laura back to Caprica City. She collected their coats while he had a few words with Thrace and Tigh about their conduct. When they were leaving his arm was still around her waist.

The journey was over before they knew it, and Laura released a breath she realised she hadn't been holding. The evening was practically over, but she didn't want it to be. She wanted there to be a next meeting, a next morning, anything as long as she could see him again.

"Goodnight Laura."

"Goodnight Bill."

He leaned it to kiss her lightly on the mouth, but it was enough to leave her wanting more of him, more of his scent and taste. They broke apart and she was about to invite him inside when she noticed his gaze had turned elsewhere. Following his eye line, she saw Alex and Billy standing in the doorway, but Richard was with them.

"Looks like you're needed. Goodnight Laura," he sighed, kissing her on the cheek and nodding at the pair he liked as he left her path. Sighing herself, she walked up to the door to deal with her current problem of her lover watching her being kissed by a man she was starting to fall for.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

It was the morning after her evening out with Bill, and Laura had gone into the office with high spirits, which rose even more when she saw the large bunch of flowers sitting on her desk in an ornate vase. Walking over, she was surprised to see that they were from Richard. He hadn't given her flowers in years.

_"Bill Adama? Colonial Fleet? Hardly your type Laura."_

_"Why, because he's in the military or because he's not married?"_

Alex and Billy had been sent home quickly last night so she and Richard could talk. Things had gotten brutal; Laura had definitely been playing the role of the 'other woman'. She had tried so hard to think of all the reasons why she had been involved in an affair with Adar in the first place. She had thought him handsome when he had ran for Mayor, and as a lonely teacher she had been glad of his attention. Things had turned hotter, and they had ended up in bed. He had been charismatic, attentive, loving. Somewhere along the way she had fallen in love with him, from Mayor's office to the President's office.

_"Are you sleeping with him?"_

_"Are you sleeping with Mary? Because you have no right to be jealous considering you're the one in this relationship - if it is a relationship - that's married!"_

It didn't use to be quick fumbles on his desk; it used to be proper dates that led to sex at her house or his. The secrecy element was an added spice to their coupling, making things ever so exciting. But maybe it was since she had been diagnosed with Cancer, maybe since meeting Bill…maybe she was just _too_ lonely. Something had changed and what had seemed so exciting before now filled her with disgust.

_"You know why we have to keep this secret Laura. You know I love you, but I need Mary to carry off my image for the voters!"_

_"Of course, the election is coming up."_

_"Exactly."_

_"How many times have I heard that line?"_

She had kicked him out of her house after that; not caring that he was the President of the Colonies or that she had very well threw her job away. But coming in this morning and seeing those flowers made her feel loved. Even if it was only for a moment, even if he hadn't gone and picked them himself, he had made her feel loved.

"Do you like them?" asked Richard, coming up behind her and putting two arms around her stomach in an embrace. The door was closed; it was just the two of them in private.

"Thank you, they're beautiful."

"Just like you then," he lifted her head and tucked a lock of flame coloured hair away from her face so he could kiss her gently on the mouth.

_"Goodnight Laura."_

_"Goodnight Bill."_

Laura tried not to jerk away from his touch, that wouldn't go down well. But the kiss reminded her so much of the one that Bill had given her before she had seen Richard last night. Oh Gods - Bill. What was she going to say? How was she going to explain this to him? Maybe she should just cut off all contact from him, concentrate on her work and on her relationship with Richard. Maybe after the elections in seven months they could finally come out in the open about things. Maybe she was a fool.

"I'm having a dinner party tonight, I'd like you there. It would be nice to see you with your hair up. You look so pretty with your hair up," he soothed, his breath teasing her ear.

"I can do that."

_"Good. Pick you up at eight?"_

"Great, I'll see you at seven."

She was so screwed.

X

She had done like Richard told her to and put her hair up in an elegant bun with several strands framing her face. Her dress was red, leaving her collarbone and cleavage open and most of her legs visible from a long slit up one side of the dress. A wrap adorned her back.

"Laura! How good to see you!" cried Mary from the doorway, holding her friend at a safe distance so neither of them smudged their makeup. She was about ten years older than Laura, with blonde hair turning slowly white and a penchant for long blue dresses. She had been the trophy wife when Adar had first married her, and now all she did was sit on a shelf until he wanted her.

"You look lovely Mary," Laura replied in earnest, following her friend as she lead her into the Adar's expansive house. Going into the main drawing room, she could see that the men were wearing tuxedos. Richard looked especially dashing, but then he could always pull off formal wear. He gave her a smile across the room as she sat next to Mary before the food was served.

Dinner was a horrendous affair, with Laura constantly on guard. Mary seemed to have no idea that her friend was frakking her husband, no matter how many jokes were sent there way about it. Nobody knew, everyone suspected. Instead of being suspicious, she seemed determined to set Laura up with the defence secretary Jack Robson, a man five years younger than Richard but with none of his charisma. Finally dinner was finished, and they retired to the sitting room where coffee was served and more comfortable conversation began.

"Oh Laura, seeing as you're here I was wondering if you could have a quick look at those files I was speaking about earlier," Richard announced, standing up and putting both hands on the back of Laura's chair. He was immediately chastised by his wife, who warned him about mixing business with pleasure. How close she was to the truth and yet so far from it was astonishing.

They walked up to the library, keeping their conversation brief and about the decoration of the house. However, once they were in the library the door was slammed shut and Laura was pushed up against the large mahogany desk with Richard's mouth on hers. He was so rough with her, it was electrifying. His tongue slid into her mouth and traced her lips before moving down to the open skin of her neck. Laura knew how much he wanted to mark her, but the sudden appearance of a hickey probably wouldn't go down well with the dinner guests downstairs.

He cupped her breasts and rubbed her nipples through the fine silk of her dress, causing her to moan out loud. He immediately stopped and watched for any sign of life in the corridor outside before giving her a warning glance. Laura would try not to make the same mistake, but it would be hard, she was so vocal during sex…

_"She reminded me of a girl from Picon. Pale skin, red lips, beautiful eyes. She drew you in like an exotic flower, and it felt like she took your soul when your lips touched. But you never cared, it was worth it for just a moment to know that the beautiful creature you were holding was only yours."_

_Dark Day_. Why was she thinking about _Dark Day_ now? She knew why - every time she read that book it was his voice. For a moment it wasn't Richard's hands that were pushing her dress up to her hips to touch her inner thighs, but Bills hands. He would be so delicate; he would take his time with her like no man ever had done before. He would kiss her ears, kiss her hair and they would giggle as they did this because there would be no time limit, no restrictions on making noise outside.

Richard had now unbuckled his belt and was inside her, gently thrusting before building up a solid rhythm. Their heads were side by side now, neither seeing each other's face. Downstairs Laura could hear the voices of some of the other dinner guests including Jack's distinctive laugh. Richard sped up.

_There would be candles everywhere, creating a special light just for them. Or it would be early in the morning, sunlight streaming in. Yes, early morning. Coffee on the bedside table next to them, a copy of _Dark Day _next to it. She would be wearing one of his shirts; he would be wearing his underwear. He would cup her face and kiss her gently, moving to her neck and down to where the shirt covered her. He would enjoy her skin, every inch of it, he would worship her like the goddess and she would come apart in his hands._

"B-" Laura bit her lip viciously to stop the name coming out that she so wanted to scream to the heavens. It had coincided with a loud uproar from downstairs, and Richard had been so concentrated on his own release that he hadn't realised that she had nearly said another mans name. She breathed heavily, knowing just how close she had come to shattering everything.

He moved out of her, zipping his trousers up and kissing her swollen lips. Grabbing half of a pile of random files, he left Laura to contemplate what she had just done and what she had been doing for the past fifteen years. Shoving the remainder of the files to the floor, Laura sunk to join them, tears running down her face. She wanted free of Richard, the toxic romance that kept her tied in knots. That was the part of her that wanted Bill Adama, wanted the safe and romantic existence that probably didn't exist.

"You've only met the man three times Laura, not really enough to base an entire relationship on."

Richard was easy, she knew how to please him and she knew that he loved her. Or at least she thought that he loved her. Sitting on the floor of Richard's library, still wet from their previous encounter and tears stinging her eyes, she felt like a cheap whore. Brought in to please the boss and paid off with flowers and expensive meals.

"What am I doing?" she rested her head in her hands and began to count to ten, hoping that at the end of it, she would be much clearer on things. Instead, she heard one of the staff coming down the corridor so she hid in the bathroom and cleaned herself up.

She looked perfect when she returned to the group, claiming her late return was due to a lost earring.

X

Laura had been summoned to Richard's office the next morning and had been rewarded with a smile and a delicious kiss. He had been pleased with her performance last night and their secret frak in the library. She played along; she didn't have the energy to do anything more than to let him stick his tongue in her mouth. His hands traced up her bare legs to where her skirt began, but they didn't stop, instead they kept going up her thighs.

"Mr President, some files need your urgent signature…" Richard broke his contact against Laura instantaneously, and both watched as Alex dropped the files to the floor and scrambled to pick them up before leaving the room as quickly as she could without looking at the pair of them. She saw something flicker cold in Richard's eyes, and Laura was scared. She had only seen him look like that once before, and a great deal of violence usually followed.

"Go to your office, carry on as usual. Don't come here for the rest of the day."

Laura did as she was told, she was afraid of what would happen to her if she refused. No one had ever walked in on them, no aide had been that stupid. As she passed her desk, Laura could see that Alex was absolutely terrified.

It was sometime later when Billy knocked onto her office door and entered. He looked pale and angry, but it was a timid sort of anger that would never come to anything more than harsh words and a slammed door. Laura felt like her whole world was crashing around her, the only people she had in her life were Richard and Mary, and just recently Billy and Alex. It had been a nice change of pace to spend time with the two of them, get to know those under her in a way that no one in this building ever did. But Billy, sweet and innocent Billy, was pissed at her and poor Alex was…

"He fired her."

"Yeah, he did."

"Gods, Billy."

"Don't."

She looked up from her desk to see him swallowing, struggling to get the words out.

"I won't try and pretend that I understand what's going on with you and the President, but was it worth her job? Really, Madam Secretary, was it worth it?"

"Billy…"

"You've got a meeting in twenty minutes with the Defence Secretary," was all he said before he left the room and closed the door quietly behind him. Laura then broke. She sat in her chair and the tears trickled down her face, it was no good holding it all in anymore. When she dared to look outside her office door, she saw Alex and Billy embracing, a cardboard box holding her model vipers beside her.

X

"So we go home, we say goodnight and I kiss her."

"And…?"

"And she tasted good."

"Good on ya Bill!" cried Saul, hitting his friend on the back before taking another gulp of his glass of ambrosia. However, he soon noticed that his friend wasn't joining in with his enthusiasm. "What happened?"

"On her doorstep was Richard frakking Adar looking like I'd just blown the engine off of his viper."

Saul put the glass down on the table, and sighed. They were in a small bar just on the outskirts of Caprica City, renowned for being a place where pilots of all planes could sit and drink without disturbance. Some of the Galactica crew where in there a lot, some were waiting on assignments to come through and were enjoying the well deserved break. Saul and Bill had gone onto a happy if slightly mellow retirement, so they met up for a mid afternoon drink most days to catch up. Also in the bar that they knew were Starbuck and Helo: Helo commiserating that Boomer had decided to settle down with the Chief and Starbuck commiserating the fact that no Battlestar wanted to take her on as a pilot. Too wild they said. Too out of control. Too likely to end up in hack (Tigh said).

"She frakking him?"

"Probably." Bill put down his glass and motioned for the barman to pour him another glass. Kara and Helo finished their game of pool and came to sit down at the former Commander and XO's table.

"Sorry to hear that sir, we kinda liked her," Starbuck said, scoring some of Tigh's nuts before he smacked her hand down on the table.

"She was hot, that's for sure," Helo joined in, tossing the barman a couple of cubits to pay for the new round of drinks.

"She was. I really liked her, we got on well."

"So what the frak are you doing Bill? You gonna let that mother frakker Adar beat you? If she's half the woman you say she is, then she'd leave him in a heartbeat if you romanced her right. Plus, you're a lot easier to deal with when you're getting laid."

"He has a point sir. About the beating Adar bit sir, not about the getting laid bit. Sir," Helo said, and Kara nodded. Bill thought about it for a moment, and realised that he would be stupid to let her go. Laura Roslin had crept into his thoughts and hadn't let go, so neither should he.

"How do you suggest I start?" A cheer went up at the table as they began planning how the Commander could woo Laura and drag her out of the clutches of Richard Adar.

"Speaking from a woman's perspective…"

"Which woman?"

"Shut up Helo. Speaking from a woman's perspective, flowers are a good start."

"Flowers. Right." Bill smiled.

X

It was just another day, but this time Laura made sure to walk past Richard's office. He had gotten a new assistant already, a perky little blonde with shining eyes and a wide cleavage. She gave Laura a hello and a dazzling smile as she walked past. It made Laura miss Alex's glasses and baggy jeans, especially when Richard walked in and gave the new assistant a smile that was usually only reserved for her. When she got to her office, Billy nodded politely and handed her some messages, but their relationship still wasn't what it had been. Laura found that she rather missed the company that he had given her. Opening her office door, she noticed that the vase of flowers that Richard had sent her two days ago were still on the corner of the desk, the blue and yellow flowers brightening the room.

However, there was another addition to her desk that Laura had not seen before, which meant that they must have come early. It was another bunch of flowers, but these ones were different. Instead of blue and yellow they were pink and white roses tied with a red ribbon. There was a card attached. _They must be from Richard_, Laura thought, but something in her told her otherwise and begged her to open the card.

She must have read the card a dozen times before Billy came in to remind her about a meeting. He didn't look surprised at the flowers, but he may have been surprised about who had sent them. She moved Richard's vase over to the corner of her office, and took a long stemmed vase that she had in her cupboard from a previous bunch of flowers, and placed it on her desk. The roses were placed inside, and before she placed the last one in the vase she held it to her lips and imagined the giver of them to be that rose.

_"From the moment I opened my eyes, she is in my blood, like cheap wine. Bitter and sweet, tinged with regret. I'll never be free of her, nor do I want to be, for she is what I am. All that is, should always be."_

_Ever read _Love and Bullets_, Laura? I think you would like it, and I would love very much to show you. I would show you the world if you agreed to see me one more time. _

_Yours, Bill x_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

There were clouds outside, floating bubbles that she wanted to touch. As a child she used to lay back on the grass and watch the clouds, and try to figure out what shapes they could be. As she grew older, in moments of reflection, she still would go and lie out on the grass and watch the clouds.

"What are you thinking?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

It was a Sunday. A Sunday where she had no outstanding paperwork, no work of any kind to do in fact. So, she had called Bill Adama in the hope that they could spend some time together. He had been grateful to receive her call, and he had picked her up straight away. Bill had worn a short-sleeved shirt and trousers, while she had opted for a casual summer dress. Bill had commented on how lovely she had looked, and she had to say the same for him. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt as pretty as she did when Bill looked at her in the way he did.

He had taken her out for breakfast first, a little café he knew on the outskirts of the city. Bill had paid, much to her dismay, but there would be no argument. They then had decided to spend the morning in the park. Kids were playing with their parents, dogs were being walked and the smell of summer was in the air. They were on their backs, watching the clouds overhead. It was nice. It was relaxing.

"Want to go play on the swings?" Bill looked over and asked, and Laura smirked.

"I'm not seven."

"You don't need to be seven to play on the swings, Laura," Bill stated matter of factly and dragged her up off the grass. She stayed mostly in his arms as he dragged her to the swings. They were off the beaten path, far out of the way of any of the other playground equipment. It was nearly lunchtime, so all the kids had returned to their parents to be fed. It was just her and Bill and the swings.

"Madam Secretary," Bill flourished his hand in honour of the swing and she sat down, chuckling at the absurdity of it all. The former Commander started to push her lightly on the swing, making her go higher. It was a surreal moment, a moment she never wanted to end.

Laura eventually had the rhythm going just right and she stood up on the swing, the rebellious teenager in the playground. Bill just watched her swing, she looked so happy, giggling away. Her giggles turned to screams as Bill jumped on the swing too, standing up so they were both sharing the swing and facing each other.

"Did you ever do this when you were a teenager?" Bill asked Laura, holding his hands mere inches from hers on the railings. Adrenalin coursed through her with a healthy dose of lust. She couldn't control her words or actions, nor did she want to.

"Yes, and I always got kissed by the stupid boy who had jumped on the swing in the first place."

"Well I am a sucker for tradition."

Laura leaned into Bill as the motion of the swing was coming to a stop. However, she suddenly came over feeling nauseas and faint, and realised that she had to get off. Before she could safely step down off the swing, she collapsed into Bills arms.

"Laura! Laura!"

Helo and Starbuck had been called by Tigh who had been called by Adama to say that he was going out with Laura for the whole day. The two pilots had decided to tag along in the background to make sure that the Commander didn't do anything stupid, but so far things had been going well. Until Laura had collapsed.

Rushing over to Adama, he hadn't asked what they had been doing in the park; all he wanted was their help.

"Sir, Doc Cottle's house is just around the corner," Starbuck realised, and Bill collected Laura up in his arms to make their way to the former Galactica CMO's house. Helo called the Doc in advance to let him know that they were coming, and Starbuck could hear the sigh from where she was. Earlier in the week, Starbuck had nearly broken her leg during a training run around the park with Helo. Cottle had been out walking and had taken the two pilots back to his house to check her out.

Opening the door, Cottle greeted them and brought the group into his lounge. Bill laid Laura gently on the sofa while the doctor examined her.

"I don't see any sign of head injury or anything else that could be a problem. Helo, get me a glass of water from the kitchen would you?"

Helo ran out to get what the doctor wanted. Starbuck sat in the corner of the lounge, watching as Bill traced Laura's forehead and moved a strand of hair away from her face. Helo returned with the water, and Cottle promptly threw it over the unconscious Laura. That startled her into waking and coughing, and Bill managed to sit her up and lean into him while frowning at the former CMO's bizarre methods.

"Its okay, its okay. You fainted Laura, but you're okay now. This is Doc Cottle, he used to work on Galactica."

Laura gave a brief nod and leaned into Bill's chest. Cottle got his stethoscope from his table and pressed it to her chest. Her heart was beating a little fast for his liking, but seeing the way the Commander was looking at her, Cottle figured he had an answer for that.

"I don't have your medical history, so I'm gonna have to ask if you have any serious medical problems that could have caused you to faint?"

She didn't want this to be how she told him, but if she asked if he left then he would only question Cottle or ask her later. She could lie to Cottle, but he was trying to help her and she didn't know what the hell was going on or why she had fainted. There was no way she was going back to her previous doctor, so this was as good a chance as ever to get some help, unwanted or not.

"I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer about a month and a half ago. Its inoperable," Laura spluttered, feeling Bill stiffen beside her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw one of Bills pilots; Thrace she believed, although why she was there she didn't know, go out of the room with someone else. It was just her, Cottle and Bill.

"What are you doing about it?"

"Nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?" It was Bill who asked her the question this time, but he fell silent immediately after he had said it. They didn't know each other well enough for him to be grilling her on her treatment.

"Its not too late to start doloxan."

"No."

"Well, then you're screwed." She laughed faintly at that. To be honest, she hadn't given her Cancer a second thought for a long time. Laura had been more concerned about spending time with Bill and dealing with Richard. Now her failure to deal with her problems had come back to bite her.

"My Mother had Cancer. I had to watch her deal with doloxan; I don't want to go through the same. It didn't help her, its not going to help me."

"Okay."

Bill had never left her while she had been talking to Cottle about the Cancer. He explained that she was going to keep feeling worse, and that fainting and dizzy spells were going to be common. He asked to see her at the small surgery he was working at now sometime in the coming week so he could give her a full going over. She smiled at that, and stood up slowly so she wouldn't fall down. Cottle left the room for the kitchen, leaving Bill and her alone.

"Bill…"

"I better go make sure that Starbuck and Helo are okay. I'll talk to you later, alright?"

"Okay."

Helo had offered to take her home, and she had accepted the offer having no idea exactly where Doctor Cottle's house exactly was. He gave her a curt nod as she turned and walked into her house. Laura traced the bangle on her arm, a gift from her mother, and began to cry at the door. Had she completely wrecked things with Bill? Could she sort things? There was only one thing she knew for sure, and that was that she couldn't keep ignoring her Cancer.

Back at Cottle's, Bill and Starbuck sat silent in the kitchen. Cottle made them a cup of coffee, which they drank in silence.

"Did you hear about Charlton on the Columbia? Just got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Won't ever fly again, poor guy."

"Gods that sucks."

"Yeah it does. You used to be XO of the Columbia, right Commander?"

"Yeah."

That's all Cottle and Starbuck managed to get out of him before they left the Doctor alone. Starbuck walked Bill to his house, but he didn't ask her inside, just opened and shut the door looking like his entire world had crashed down around his ears. Starbuck couldn't help him, and it hurt.

X

It was Monday and Laura could feel herself visibly shaking as she walked up the steps of the Government building and headed for President Adar's office. After the incident with Cottle yesterday, she had decided to tell him. It would save a whole lot of awkward questions in the future, and hopefully prevent her from ever seeing a reaction like Bills. She had tried to call him dozens of times yesterday, but they all remained unanswered.

Smiling at the blonde assistant who, even working as a Presidential aide, insisted on wearing low cut tops; Laura knocked on Richard's office and walked in. He was on the phone and he gave her a wide smile as she entered. He hung up quickly and moved over to kiss her firmly on the mouth. Laura pushed him away; she didn't need him like that this morning.

"What is it?" he asked, tracing his hands up her arms.

"I have Cancer Richard."

He stood still for a moment, trying to take it all in. Suddenly he crushed her to him and just held her. She could feel him kissing the top of her head and then suddenly the contact broke so he could look at her.

"What's the diagnosis?"

"Breast Cancer, the tumour is inoperable."

Whatever Laura expected next, it wasn't for Richard to get on the phone personally to call up the best team of physicians within the twelve Colonies to get her seen too. He then proceeded to give her another hug before cupping her face between his hands.

"Whatever you need Laura, I'll be there for you. Whatever you want Laura; I'll be there for you. I love you, what ever happens."

Richard then told her how after work today she would be seen by his team of Doctors who would do anything in their power to help her, even curing Cancer if that was what was needed. No matter how many times she told him that she had her own Doctor (or at least she thought she did, she was actually going to see Cottle), he wouldn't hear of it. Laura felt suffocated, this was all too much.

It didn't stop there. In the department meeting that afternoon, the Secretary of Finance gave Laura a large hug and presented her with a get-well card. The other ministers also gave their condolences and their ever-hopeful wishes. During the meeting, Richard kept asking if she wanted to leave and take a break. She just smiled at him and said she would be fine.

When the meeting was finally over, Laura felt as if she ran to her office to escape everything. But even then things weren't over. Her office was filled with flowers, and teddy bears and cards and everything that people bought in hospitals to give to the sick. It was too much. Laura fled to the bathroom in her office and threw up her lunch. Leaning against the wall, she felt tears rush down her face. A knock on the door had Billy come in, shut the door, and pour his boss a glass of water. He sat down next to her, and held her hand until she was feeling up to leaving the bathroom and going back into the world.

X

It was on the frakking news. 'Secretary of Education has been diagnosed with Cancer. President to stand by her.' Of course he was going to stand by her, he was frakking her for fraks sake. Laura was not in the best of moods. Mary Adar had tried to call her countless times, and even when an aide had come to the door to make sure she was okay, she had not answered the door. She was tired of everyone's sympathy; she just wanted to be left alone.

Sitting on the sofa, Laura was wearing an old pair of jeans and a baggy t-shirt. In her lap was the biggest tub of ice cream she could find, and she was currently watching an old romantic film on the tube. That depressed her even more, because the hero had the same gravel voice that reminded her of Bill. There was a knock on the door, waking Laura out of her haze of depression.

"FRAK OFF!" Laura yelled, not wanting to talk to anyone.

"Laura it's me!"

Bill. It was Bill. He hadn't called, hadn't sent any of his pilots to see her, he had come himself. Rushing to the door, she was indecisive about whether she should open it. But her heart overruled her head and she pulled the door open.

Bill. There was Bill standing on her doorstep in a shirt and jacket with a couple of books and a flyer underneath his arm. And here she was, standing in the baggiest t-shirt she owned with ice cream on her tongue and a slushy film on in the background.

"I wanted to apologise for the way I left things yesterday. You didn't deserve it. So, I've decided that you can accompany me on my magical mystery trip."

How someone could be so sweet and thoughtful and yet so arrogant in one sentence surprised Laura. But it didn't stop the smile on her face, or the way her body seemed to react to his presence.

"Where are we going?" Laura asked with trepidation, she didn't really want to go out and face the world. Her face had been plastered all over the Colonies because someone couldn't keep their mouth shut.

"Edward Prima is having a book signing. I thought we could go there and then get some food."

"I don't know Bill…"

"This is not up for debate Roslin. You're coming with me, whether you like it or not."

He then walked into the house uninvited, noting with disgust what she had been watching before he turned it off. He then took the tub of ice cream into the adjacent kitchen. Laura was still stood at the doorway when an arm grabbed her around the middle, dragging her and her jacket outside into the cold air.

They decided to walk into the main city, enjoying the breeze in the city on the summer night. The two of them talked about anything apart from work and illness, and Laura was glad of the distraction. It was only when they were getting into the main lights of the city that she realised that Bill and her were holding hands. For the first time she noticed he was wearing a ring on his finger.

"Have you got any kids Bill?" Laura smiled at him, trying not to feel upset at him or herself. She should have noticed the ring sooner, but then Bill Adama didn't seem the type to cheat.

"My eldest, Lee is a pilot. My other son, Zak, died about two years ago."

"Oh Bill I'm sorry." She genuinely was, and all thoughts of the ring were forgotten. She rested her other hand on his arm, which he picked up and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it.

"Its fine. I don't get on with Lee so much, which is a shame. You may have been wondering about the ring," he stated, pulling their still held hands up into view.

"To be honest, I hadn't noticed it."

"Or were too afraid to ask? Carolanne and I are divorced, we talked about a year ago and sorted things out, but there's no love there any more."

Laura found herself unconsciously smiling at that. "Can you answer me why I'm so happy at that statement?"

"Nope." He smiled too, and they returned to general chatting and banter while holding hands.

X

They were in the queue for the book signing, and Laura could feel Bill buzzing next to her. It was like a child meeting his favourite pyramid player for the first time. They finally made it to where Edward Prima was, a man several years older than themselves with greying hair but hawk like eyes. Bill couldn't say anything, he just handed his copy of _Dark Day _over. Sighing, Laura tried to steer things into something resembling a conversation.

"His name is Bill Adama and he's a huge fan." Prima chuckled at her straightforwardness, and Bill gave her a stern look. She just linked her arm through his and gave a knowing smile.

"Its always a pleasure to meet a fan. _Dark Day _was always my favourite book to write."

"I loved your new book, but I have to say that _Dark Day_ really captured the essence of Caprica's nature at night. The detective is a good character, I love the way he tried to compartmentalise but fails."

"He doesn't fail, he succeeds too well and that's his undoing," Bill mumbled, and Prima smiled as he handed Bill his book back.

"That's exactly what I always thought. He tries to put his love for Clara and solving the crime of the girl in different boxes, and he does it so well that he forgets which box to get out. It's always nice to find someone who gets involved in the book. Tell you what, I'll give you a free signed copy of my new one for making my evening."

"I have a copy already."

"I don't Laura, you took the last one remember?" Bill said pointedly, and Laura made a motion of zipping up her lips before smiling at him. Prima chuckled, signed the book and shook Bills hand before they made their way out of the hall.

Outside it was cold, and Laura could feel it through her jacket. Seeing her shiver, Bill pulled off his own jacket and placed it around her shoulders. He placed an arm around her shoulders and held her close to him.

"What did Prima write in your book?"

Bill got his copy of _Blood on the Snow_ out from under his arm and opened the first page before laughing to himself.

"What? What is it?"

"To Bill and Laura, the real life Sam and Clara. Enjoy, Edward Prima."

"He thinks we are a couple."

"I think he does at that."

Laura turned around to face Bill, and slotted her arms around his neck. She leaned into him and pressed her forehead against his. They shared the same oxygen for a moment before she spoke.

"Thank you for tonight Bill. It's been so hard today, no one can see past the Cancer."

"Cottle'll be ridding you hard about that later in the week. I know you have your reasons, and I don't know you well enough to tell you to throw them all out the window and do what I want."

"Not yet. We should get to know each other better first."

"How do you suggest we do that?"

Laura leaned in to Bill and pressed her lips lightly against his, like a lovers caress on bare skin. She broke away for a moment before planting a firmer kiss against his lips. Two kisses was all it took before Bill dropped what he had been carrying to the floor and grabbed her hips so they were brought even closer together. They stared at each other for a moment before Bill dipped his head to meet Laura's lips, soft at first before her mouth opened to his. Tongues met, bodies grew closer, but it was slow, like they were taking every second to memorise every part of their first true kiss.

She moaned at the loss of contact as Bill broke the kiss, but smiled as his mouth moved to her neck. "You're addictive, you know." was the muffled response before his lips moved back to hers for another soft kiss. Laura then put her arm around Bills middle and he held her tight as they continued to walk.

"So…food?"

"Not really hungry for food."

"Behave you. What sort of girl do you think I am?"

"My girl."

They were in the park, completely empty except for the moon and the stars. Bills hands were in her hair as he pulled her mouth closer to his for another languid kiss in the summer night air.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Laura was wondering why her alarm clock hadn't come on that morning. Usually it blared the radio loudly at her so she could get up and shower before going into the city to work. Today: nothing. She cast a bleary eye to her alarm clock to see that it had been switched off at the plug. Opening both her eyes, she saw Bill Adama sitting at the foot of her bed, watching her sleep.

_Damn man and his damn key_.

It had been a month since the book signing and things had gone very well between the two of them. They had been on several dates since, including a weekend trip on the cruise ship Cloud Nine. Laura had gotten to know Bill's friends very well, including but not limited to Saul Tigh, Kara Thrace, Karl Agathon and the couple Sharon and Tyrol. About a week ago, while having dinner, she had given him a key to her place. It was closer to the barracks where Bill helped occasionally, so he could stay over if he wanted to. She also wanted him to have a key so he could come over at any other time as well, but the barracks seemed a convenient excuse.

"Were you watching me sleep?" Laura mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"No. But if I was, you looked incredibly beautiful while doing it." Laura snorted at that, and wiped at the corner of her mouth. Oh gods, she had been drooling in her sleep.

"I was drooling."

"Very pretty drool."

She kicked him on that remark and sat up in bed. He had brought her a cup of coffee and rested it on the bedside table next to her. Laura looked at him, and realised that for the first time in a long time she was happy in a relationship. It helped a lot that Richard Adar was on the first of his pre-election tours around the Colonies, and had been for about three weeks. Laura had stayed behind so she could go to her check ups and spend more time with Bill. The loss of Adar's presence had only enhanced Laura's position on the new relationship.

"Did I say good morning, by the way?" Bill asked, stepping away from the bed and reaching over to kiss her on the cheek.

Bad move.

Before he knew what had hit him, Laura had grabbed his shirt and turned them both over so he was pinned to the bed and she was on top of him. His husky laugh at her actions soon turned to a moan when Laura demonstrated how to really say good morning to someone. Their tongues tangled as they kissed, and Bill was hyper aware of the silky thing Laura was wearing to bed and his body responded. Knowing that she had work, Bill eventually broke the deep kiss and cupped her face. She was so beautiful.

"Good morning then."

Laura was about to respond with another long kiss, but shrieked when she saw the time. She was supposed to pick Billy up before work so they could go over her presentation to Adar about the current status of education. Placing a small kiss on Bills lips and a smack on his upper arm, she jumped off him and headed straight to the shower.

She could hear his laugh from her bedroom even with the water running.

X

Bill had driven her to the swimming baths where she was supposed to meet Billy. It was his penance for switching her alarm clock off that morning and letting her sleep in. Although the wake up had been pleasurable, Laura was worried that she was going to be late to meet Richard. She knew that saying that wouldn't go down well with Bill, so she kept her mouth shut, even though what she had to say to Adar was good for her and Bill as a couple.

They were walking down to the baths when Bill caught her arm and brought her close to him. Laura was about to ask what he was doing when he opened up his palm and a lone key was there.

"Fair is fair. If you ever need to get away from things, you can go there," Bill explained, rewarded for the key by a kiss from Laura. He smiled.

The Caprica Swimming Baths had two parts to it, an outdoor pool that was usually filled to capacity during the summer months. Laura expected to see lots of young families and teenagers in there later in the afternoon, but it was only mid morning. The second part was a fifty-metre lap pool that was partly open to the elements. That was where Laura and Bill found Billy, who was holding a stopwatch for one of the swimmers in the water.

As they got closer, the swimmer broke air. It was Alex, her strawberry blonde hair tied back in a long ponytail. She gave a small smile to Laura and Bill as they came up to Billy.

"Madam Secretary, Commander sir," Alex said, giving a small salute to Bill. Billy helped her out of the water and put a towel around her shoulders. "I'm getting in some training for the Colonial Day triathlon. Early in the morning no ones around and…" she didn't finish the sentence, she just smiled weakly. Giving Billy a quick hug, she promised to call him and headed off to the changing rooms. Laura watched her go, slightly concerned about her. It looked like she had lost some weight, but then Alex always wore baggy things to work and the latest sighting of the aide had her in a swimming costume.

Billy and the couple headed to Bill's car where he would take them to work. In the back seat Billy sat quietly, smiling slightly at the couple in front who couldn't stop looking at each other. Eventually he managed to break into the conversation and discuss the presentation, but talk was over quickly and Billy was once again watching his boss and the Commander.

On the steps of the government building, Laura gave Bill a quick kiss before he left them to it, and to the business of the day.

"President Adar wants to see you this morning, we've got the presentation due in two days but we've got that sorted. Do you mind me seeing Alex?"

Billy slipped it in with his other statements but he asked so honestly that Laura couldn't help smiling at him. "No I don't mind you seeing Alex. Have no objections whatsoever, although I would beware. She's the daughter of a pilot and pilots tend to misbehave. Trust me, I know these things," she winked and Billy laughed before turning back to his own desk.

The morning had passed successfully, with the presentation sorted out and all her paperwork done. Laura had been making calls to the teachers union when Richard knocked on the door and came in. She had already been told how well his tour had gone down, in fact it seemed that re-election was inevitable. Finishing up with the call, she went over and gave him a hug. Considering what she had to tell him, she had better start off being nice.

"How have you been Laura? You look…fantastic," Richard exclaimed, holding her at arms length so he could get a better look at her. _That's what romance will do to you_, Laura thought. Several people had commented on how well she had been looking, and she stemmed that up to spending a large amount of time relaxing with a certain Adama.

"Thank you Richard. I hear things went well."

"They really did."

"Good. Listen, I've got some news."

"Oh?"

"I've met someone."

Contact between then was broken. If he had been holding something breakable at that point, Laura was sure that it would be on pieces on her carpet.

"Do I know him?"

"Bill Adama." The disbelieving snort that accompanied his name riled Laura. Richard had no right to look down his nose at a Commander of the Colonial Fleet, especially one as decent as Bill.

"Didn't really think he was your type. Is it serious?"

Laura smiled at the memory of their dates. The engagement party, the book signing, the park, dinner (twice), the open-air movie and the weekend away. "We've exchanged keys. I'd say it was pretty serious."

"Have you slept with him?"

Then there was sex. Bill and her had agreed to start things slow, she wanted to get Richard completely out of her system before she gave herself to Bill, as corny as it sounded. There had been times when they had come close, but being a gentlemen Bill had stopped. Laura had wanted to finish things properly with Richard before she and Bill crossed that line, and he understood that.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no."

"Then it's not serious."

"Relationships are not entirely based on sex Richard! Well, apart from ours! I'm tired of being with someone who only wants to frak, and that's it. I'm tired of doing it on desks and against walls like a horny teenager. I want love, Richard, I want someone who will actually focus on me as a person instead of just what I'm giving him."

"_I_ love you Laura."

"If you truly loved me you would have divorced Mary years ago and married me. Now if you will excuse me, I've got an appointment to go to. I have the afternoon off as well, so you won't see me until tomorrow."

Laura took one last look at Richard Adar and walked out of his office, smiling while she did so. Billy gave her a smile as she walked past, trying not to look like he had been eavesdropping when he obviously had. She didn't care; things were over with her and Richard. The future concerned her and Bill, and that was all that mattered.

X

"You're a Panthers fan aren't you Cottle?" Bill asked the Doctor as he finished some paperwork.

"Not really, prefer Harpies actually. If you mean I hate the Buccaneers, then yes I do."

"Some of us are coming around mine for a barbecue and then watching the game. You in?"

"Might as well. I can smoke, right?" Cottle checked, going through the curtains of the small clinic with Bill following.

"Yeah, sure."

"Great. Hey, do me a favour? Charlton is in for his treatment this morning and his daughter needs a break. You used to work on the Columbia, go talk to him."

Nodding goodbye to Cottle, Bill headed to the curtained off section. Pulling apart the fabric, he saw Bryan Charlton pale and sickly lying in the hospital bed. It was completely unlike the great Raptor Pilot that Bill remembered. He then saw Alex Charlton sitting on the chair next to the bed, struggling to keep the tears in.

"Hey Commander. How's things?"

"Pretty good Captain. How are you?"

"Doc tells me that it's likely that I'll never fly a raptor again, but I don't believe him. He's a frakking liar."

"That's what all my patients tell me," Cottle stated as he checked the dosage of medication that he was giving Charlton before nodding his head to the girl in the corner. Bill rested a hand on Alex's shoulder, saying that he would keep her father company while she went and got a cup of coffee. While she was out of the room, they talked about times on Columbia and told stories about their respective ships since they parted ways. They eventually got on the subject of Alex.

"She's a good kid, Alex. Her mom died about eight years ago, I know it's killing her seeing me like this. It would be okay if she still had her job, but she got fired about a month and a half ago. She sneaks out first thing to go swimming, but apart from that all she does is sit next to me while I have my treatments. "

"She cares."

"She's twenty-two for fraks sake. Do you remember what you were doing at twenty-two?"

"I was in a plane."

"Me too."

Alex soon returned and smiled at the two men easily conversing in the room. Bill made his way to leave, but took Alex outside the curtained area for a moment. He grabbed a pen from his pocket, wrote his number on a spare piece of paper and handed it to Alex.

"Sunday morning I want to see you nice and early at the barracks in Caprica City. You need a break, and I'm going to give you one."

"What are we going to do?"

"I'm gonna teach you how to fly a plane."

Alex gave a sad grin, before saluting the Commander and heading to her father. Bill made his way to leave, and if he had been paying more attention and had not been worried about the pilot and his daughter he would have seen Laura entering the small clinic and heading to Doctor Cottle's office.

Inside, Cottle looked over her chart and double-checked all the medications that her fancy pants doctors had been giving her. He didn't like his patient getting two sets of medicine, but it wasn't as if she was paying for the so called 'superior' medical care, the President was covering that. Laura was still refusing to take doloxan treatments, so Cottle and the Colonies finest were trying a large amount of experimental treatments on her. So far none had worked.

"What about Chamalla? How would that work?"

"Do about as good a job as the rest of your 'medication'. Fine, I'll see if I can get one of the nurses to raid a temple and get some for you. I warn you, all it'll do is make you see crazy things."

"And that's different from what I'm seeing now…?" her smart remark had earned her a scathing look and permission to go. Smiling at the Doctor, Laura headed off to find Bill and spend the remainder of the afternoon with him.

X

Thankfully his model boat had survived the transition from Galactica to Caprica, and Bill now sat in his dining room table varnishing the bow. He planned to finish some little touch ups before going out later on to pick up things for his Pyramid Game party. So far it was small, just Tigh, Starbuck, Helo and Cottle. Helo and Tigh were Pyramid fans, Starbuck didn't care and Cottle hated their guts. It was against the Panthers, his favourite team, so Bill would need all the support he could get. Bill planned to call Laura mid afternoon to check how her appointment went and ask her if she wanted to come. Before she had been too busy with her presentation to the President for him to mention it.

Suddenly he felt a pair of arms encircle his middle and a hot mouth on his neck. He groaned before responding. "If you aren't Laura Roslin, then get the hell out of my house."

"Good thing I am then," was the slow reply in his ear, her mouth kissing him there and moving down to his earlobe, which she sucked. He found her head and turned her to meet his eyes. She was wearing her glasses and her red hair was vibrant against her skin. She looked beautiful.

Bill pushed his chair away from the table and coaxed Laura onto his lap. Mouths met in slow kisses, delirious kisses. Not enough oxygen was getting to his brain. This month had gone past in a blur, he still wasn't sure what was real and what was fiction. He was sure that the beautiful woman currently draped over him was real, but then he had thought about her so many times in the emptiness of his house so much that he ached. But here she was. She stopped and looked at him with dizzying passion.

"How was your morning?"

"Eventful. Got a new medication from Cottle. Finished the presentation with Billy. Told Adar it was over and that I was with you." That caused Bill to smile brightly as he clasped her face and kissed her nose and then her mouth. "That's good to hear."

They talked for a while about things, Laura still in his lap and his boat in front of them. Looking at the clock briefly, Bill realised he needed to go shopping.

"We're watching the Pyramid game round mine today, do you want to be my date?"

"I would love to."

"Good. Now as a good date, you have to come shopping with me for things."

"Okay…" he cut her off with another kiss.

He had driven into town and parked up, and the two of them decided to hit the main street of Caprica City. They held hands, laughed in the summer sun and were practically inseparable. They picked up enough alcohol to sustain Tigh for a month, and snacks for everyone during the game.

"So, what's next on my list Laura?" Bill asked, but stopped when he realised that Laura wasn't following him anymore, but instead was looking in the window of a department store. She was looking at a red dress with a clinging brown top over that. A red wrap that tied under the cleavage completed the ensemble.

"Its pretty."

"You want it, it's yours."

"I couldn't," Laura exclaimed, turning to Bill who was staring intently at the outfit in the window trying to figure out how it would look on Laura. Money well spent he decided.

As much as she tried to tell him she didn't want it, or didn't want him to buy it for her, they ended up in the store and she tried it on. Bill had to admit to himself that in that she took his breath away. Turning to him outside the changing room, Laura blushed at the way Bill was staring at her.

"Beautiful. And I'm not just talking about the dress," Bill mumbled as he kissed Laura gently on the mouth.

They bought the dress, and then went to the butchers to get a good amount of meat for the barbecue before the game. Bill just smiled in anticipation of seeing Laura in the dress, laughing at her attempts to open his front door and carry in all his meat. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this happy.

X

It was an unusual setting for Laura, her previous circle of friends would either be watching the game or talking it over in a posh club over a glass of brandy. But here and now, she felt like she was part of something more. Music played in Bill's back garden, and he insisted that they dance several times between him cooking on the barbecue. He twirled her around the grass, laughing as they did in the cool summer breeze.

Helo and Starbuck were playing with a Pyramid ball while scoffing whatever food they could get their hands on. Tigh had a glass in his hand and assisting Bill in cooking the food. The two pilots had invited others to the shindig, so there were quite a few of them now. Cottle was talking to several of the former deck hands that had been invited. Boomer and Tyrol were discussing wedding plans with a couple of other pilots that Laura didn't recognise. Billy (after being told that he was a Panthers fan, Bill had insisted he come) was talking with Dee and Gaeta who were laughing loudly.

Everyone knew that she was the Commanders date, and Laura didn't mind the label because the way he kept looking at her made her feel special. Her dress had been a great success, everyone had commented on it (or at least told Bill that he was the luckiest son of a bitch alive). When she had gotten ketchup on her chin from a stray hot dog, he had wiped it off her chin before she licked it off his finger. Usually she hated couples that were sickly in their displays of affection, but with Bill it was still the honeymoon stage for them. They didn't argue, they did more than quick fraks. They were a couple and it was perfect.

"Game time! You're going down Panthers!" Helo yelled, and everyone left the garden for the time being and headed to the Commanders living room to watch the game. Leaving the barbecue to smoulder, Bill slotted an arm around Laura and escorted her inside.

"Why don't you like the Buccaneers Bill? Where's your sense of Colony loyalty?"

"It's not about being loyal to the Colony, it's about having taste."

The Buccaneers won. Bill had growled in frustration at his losing team, especially as Tigh had taken it upon himself to cheer manically. Most people strayed back into the garden to enjoy the last of the sunlight before heading home. Soon it was just Bill and Laura all on their own.

After pushing the barbecue under its tarp, Bill returned to the house to see Laura clearing up some of the plates and glasses that his guests had left behind. He stood in the doorway watching her, tracing the outline of the dress and how it looked on her. The curve of her breasts hypnotised him, and it was only when she coughed did he look away.

"Finished staring?"

"Just about."

Laura smiled and left the glasses on the table. She walked over to Bill and kissed him hard. He returned it eagerly, running his hands down the material of the dress and down her hips. She was the most beautiful, most intoxicating woman he had ever met.

"Mmmm…Bill…" he had reached a sensitive spot just behind her ear, and nibbling gently with his teeth had her pawing at his shirt. His mouth moved to cover her own, and their feet moved them to the sofa where they crashed down on the furniture.

Bills mouth moved from her own to her neck and then over her breasts. Laura gasped as he cupped one while nibbling on her collarbone. Gods this was just what she wanted, just what she needed. No more Richard Adar, just her and Bill Adama. He undid the wrap around her dress and let the material fall down her arms. He put a hand in her hair and pulled her closer to him, dragging the kiss out to extraordinary lengths.

When they shifted, Laura could feel how hard he was and she smiled. Kissing languidly on the sofa, Bill's hand traced up her leg and started making circles on her thigh, getting ever closer to her panties. She gasped as he traced the lace and slipped one finger inside.

Then the phone rang, breaking the moment. Bill shook his head; he wouldn't pick it up and returned to pulling her panties down her legs agonisingly slow. Her head was swimming, the smell of sex was in the air and she wanted Bill Adama _so much_…

"Dad…Dad it's me, Lee. Listen, I need to talk to you, can you pick up, if you're there?"

Bill gave a great sigh and pushed himself off Laura before answering the phone. He said he would call him back in two minutes; he needed to finish up something important. Looking down at the floor, Bill moved over to Laura and kissed her gently on the forehead.

"He's my son. He's never…he hasn't…" but Laura cut him off with a finger on his lips. She knew that Bill and Lee's relationship was strained, Kissing him on the cheek, she left him to his phone call with Lee, sad at what they hadn't done but also happy of all that they had.

X

The next morning Laura arrived into work with a spring in her step. Bill had called that morning to explain that he and Lee had talked, and there was a possibility of things becoming better between them. He had also wanted to see her later to 'finish what they started'. Arriving in the office, she placed a couple of pills down on Billy's desk; Dee and Gaeta had not treated him kindly in the alcohol stakes. Going inside, she found Richard leaning against her desk. She closed the door, slightly concerned about why he was here.

"Richard, is everything alright?" she placed her bag on the floor next to her and walked over to the desk.

"I think it is. I did some thinking after we talked yesterday and you were right. If I truly loved you I would have divorced Mary years ago."

"Okay…" Laura was confused to say the least.

Richard reached out for Laura's hand and he kissed it. "I do love you Laura." He then proceeded to kneel down on the floor still clutching her hand. "Will you marry me?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six **

Laura didn't know what to say. She just stood there, rigid with fear as the man she _had_ loved kneeled down in front of her and proposed. She didn't know what to do, it was a complication that she didn't want, didn't need.

"Wh-what about Mary?" she stuttered, her first thought. She was just the 'mistress' after all, she wasn't the girlfriend. She was the 'other woman', destined for late night fraks and lurid smiles.

"I told her earlier that it was over between us. I wanted a divorce, I wanted you Laura, and only you."

Laura felt like screaming, she felt like throwing up. This morning things had been natural and normal, Bill in her thoughts and Richard in her past. Gods she didn't know what to do.

"What…what about the election?" Always the problems with it, never answering the exact question because her thoughts weren't exactly in order. She couldn't think, couldn't concentrate. Laura wished Bill were here, she wanted him to hold her and tell her that her judgement was correct, that things were going to be all right.

"You are more important than any election. I don't care if I get re-elected, as long as you are by my side and in my life."

Richard stared up at her with wide eyes, his knees starting to tremble. He looked so sincere; he looked so open to her. This is what she had been dreaming about for years, wishing in the dead of night to be loved in public not just in private. But then Bill came.

"I'm sorry Richard, I can't." His eyes turned dark at her response, something that scared her. She was saying no to the _President_.

"Its Adama isn't it? That frakking flyboy that's got you under his spell."

"I'm falling in love with Bill, Richard, it isn't a mindless series of fumbles in the dark. This is just…too late." She released her hand from Richards grasp and left it motionless by her side. This was the first time she had accepted her feelings for Bill Adama, and she realised she was falling for him. Hard.

He stood up, leaving his hands clutching thin air. Richard stared at her with hooded eyes, not wanting to look at her.

"Doesn't matter whether they wear the pins of a Captain or the pins of a Commander, Laura. He's still a flyboy and he'll still break your heart."

"Get out. Please."

Richard looked at her for a solid moment, willing her to change her mind and to accept him. She was tired of Richard Adar, she knew now that her life was with the former Commander of the Galactica. He left the room, closing the door behind him as Laura began to breathe slowly.

Outside, Richard Adar composed himself and fished the phone he carried on him out of his pocket. Dialling the number he knew from memory, he held it up his ear.

"Its Richard. I want you to put in place the Adama plan, for tonight I think. Thank you." He clicked the end button and tucked it back into his jacket. He wasn't letting Laura go without a fight, and he fought dirty.

X

"Its hack, Helo, not the end of the world."

"She says that from experience. Last day of Galactica, she missed the decommissioning ceremony for getting into a fight with Tigh."

"He pushed the table over first!"

"Because you baited him with the wife comment! Gods, Starbuck, don't you ever use your head?"

"Mom said there was nothing up there anyway."

They were in the pilots' bar in Caprica City, having a drink like usual. Helo and Starbuck had decided to meet up and hopefully drown their sorrows when they had bumped into Captain Charlton escorted by his daughter. One of the Columbia crew was having his bachelor party on shore leave and he had been invited. The Captain had left his daughter in the capable hands of the two pilots who were more than happy to entertain Alex with stories from the Galactica.

"So the Old Man said he would teach you how to fly a plane?" Helo asked, chugging back more of his beer. Alex gave a curt nod, not feeling quite up to conversation in the presence of the two of them. They were quite intimidating.

"Old Man was a good pilot back in the day."

"But he doesn't hold a candle to the 'great Starbuck'."

"I don't need flying lessons from an ECO, thank you Raptor boy."

Alex grinned wildly; it was nice to be in the presence of so many pilots. To be honest, she had been thinking about the Commander's offer ever since he had made it, not sure whether to go or not to. Ever since she had been a small child she had dreamed of flying formation in a Viper, but now she got down to it, she didn't know whether she would be an absolute joke in the cockpit. Flying was in her blood, but Raptor flying was a hell of a lot different to Viper flying.

"Well, the first thing about being a pilot that you have to know is how to drink like one. Observe." Starbuck knocked back two shots off another table and turned them over, still standing. Helo, seeing where this was coming, put a heap of Starbucks triad money on a waitress's tray and asked for as many shots as that could buy.

About twenty shots later, there were three drunken individuals standing at the bar singing about a woman from Picon. Alex was holding onto Helo in a vice grip, not wanting to trip up even though she hadn't had half the amount of alcohol that the two pilots had put away.

"Okay, you've got to have a call sign, that is very important. He's Helo. I'm Starbuck. But those aren't our real names."

"I guessed."

"Right. He's Kara, I'm Karl. Or I'm Kara and he's Karl. It gets confusing some times. What do you do apart from want to be like me, Alex?"

"Well…uh…I read. I swim."

"That's it. Shrimp, your call sign is now shrimp because you're tiny and you can swim."

Alex laughed nervously, watching as Starbuck collapsed from giggling at the bar. She decided that the pilot may appreciate some water, but when she turned around to the bar she bumped into a man holding three very full drinks that were now all over the floor.

"I'm so sorry," Alex mumbled, trying to wipe some of the spilled liquid off of the gentleman that she had bumped into. However, he didn't appreciate that and grabbed her arm, holding it tight. He pushed the bones together vice like, which made her yelp.

"Watch where the frak you are going you little bitch!" he growled, pushing her bruised hand against the bar in a vicious motion. Pain exploded through her wrist, causing her to see stars.

"Hey! What the frak!" Starbuck shouted, throwing a drunken punch at the guy at the sight of Alex, but only managed to hit his shoulder. He twisted in a way so Starbuck fell flat on the floor, and the guy yanked her up so hard that he nearly dislocated her shoulder. Starbuck then spat in his face, hocking up phlegm into his eye. Temporarily blinded, the guy was then struck by a sharp right hook to the side of his face.

One of the guy's friends saw the fight and threw a punch in Starbucks direction, but she turned and kicked him in the side. The original guy was getting up, and seeing that Starbuck was otherwise occupied, advanced on Alex, grabbing her most likely broken wrist. He then turned and slapped her in the face, drawing blood and a cry from Alex. She wasn't used to this, hell her last job had been as a Presidential aide. Helo grabbed one of the chairs from the bar and smacked the original man in the back, and he crumpled to the floor. The guy that Starbuck was tackling stopped and turned to his friend to help him. Starbuck saw their escape and grabbed Alex's non-broken wrist and the three of them hauled themselves out of the bar.

They made their way to Starbucks apartment, where she sobered up and applied some ice to Alex's wrist. Helo called her father and told her what had happened, and said that she would be staying the night at Starbucks. His next call was to Doctor Cottle who dragged himself out of bed and to the three to treat Alex and Starbuck's wounds. It was early morning before he left, and Alex fell asleep with her head in Helo's lap, Starbuck staring out of the window and trying to think things over.

X

Bill Adama stepped in through his front door, tired from the day's events of talking things over with Lee, when he smelled the faint smell of candles. Closing the door, he looked around and could smell Laura's perfume, the irresistible scent of her. There was a note on his banister, _upstairs_. Tracing the edge of the rail, Bill walked up the stairs, anticipation weighing heavily in his stomach. Candles were everywhere, and as he walked in to his bedroom he saw the most glorious sight his eyes had ever beheld.

Laura Roslin was sitting on his bed, her hair loose and in red waves down her back. All she was wearing was a pair of lace panties and one of his old white shirts. She looked amazing, she looked enticing. She looked like a…

"Goddess."

"Glad you think so."

He walked over to the bed and stared at Laura, looking so perfect. He leant on the edge of the bed and kissed her softly, wanting this moment to last forever. She broke the kiss however, but still clung onto his shirt.

"Richard proposed to me today. I said no, said I wanted you and no one else." There was the initial wanting to go over and kill Adar, but that side melted away when she said that she wanted him. He just responded with a kiss, light at first but slowly fell into a much deeper one. Bill moved them to horizontally lie on the bed, and enjoyed kissing her so much that she started to giggle.

She smiled as he stood up and started unbuttoning his shirt, letting the material fall away and returning to her mouth. He kissed her nose, her eyelids, any part of her face that made her smile. She ran her hands down his chest, smiling at the masculine form in front of her.

Bill then started to kiss her neck, undoing the buttons on his shirt to expose more of her glorious skin to him. She groaned when he removed the entire shirt and started tracing her collarbone with his tongue. Laura wasn't wearing a bra, so he immediately cupped her full breasts and ran his fingers over the nipples. She tensed, but when he made a comforting motion with his hand in her hair, she relaxed into his touch. He wasn't going to hurt her, would never dream of it. His mouth replaced his hands, sucking on the hard nubs until she groaned with pleasure.

His hands moved down her body, stroking her stomach until he reached her panties. Bill stroked her through them, causing her to gasp when he hit a sensitive spot. His other hand returned to her breasts, drawing small circles in tantalising motions. Bill settled in between her legs and removed her panties, what he had wanted to do the other night and now could.

Spreading her legs, he touched her in just the right place to make her groan in a low voice that shot a jolt of lust to his already hardened member. He continued to rub her clit until she was gripping the bed sheets. He then replaced his finger with his tongue and moved his mouth over her swollen clit until she came in his hands, just like he and she had fantasised.

While she came down from the orgasm he had just given her, Bill undid the fly of his trousers and pulled both them and his pants down. Moving over her he stroked her hair and kissed her lightly. She guided him into her and both of them felt so full, like they never had with any other lover. Bill's speed and motions increased as he found himself getting closer and closer to the point of no return. He moved a hand down between them to rub Laura; he wanted them both to come at the same time. A long kiss from Laura pushed them both over the edge, and they flew together into the stars.

Afterwards, they slept in each other's arms, sated and happy beyond their wildest dreams.

X

Helo and Alex awoke to heavy banging on Kara's front door. Looking up, she grabbed the sidearm that she kept in her apartment and moved up the stairs. Alex groaned from the pain, and Helo left her gently on the sofa as he moved to cover his friend's flank. Looking out the window next to the door, she saw two Colonial officers outside looking impatient.

Tucking the firearm out of sight, Kara threw open the door to see the angry faces of a Colonel and a Major from the Colonial Fleet.

"Lieutenant Thrace? Lieutenant Agathon?"

"Yes?"

"Here."

"You are being charged with the serious assault and grievous bodily harm of a senior officer in the Colonial Fleet. If you would like to come with us, quietly, we'll take you back to the barracks so a committee can hear your side of the story. If you would like, you can call a superior officer to be your representative."

Kara turned around to Helo, and the pieces slotted into place. The bar fight last night. It was no use fighting, Kara had been in hack before but a tribunal was something she was not accustomed to. Nodding to the officer, she went through the door. Helo wrote something down on a piece of paper near the door and left with them too.

Once she was sure that they were gone, Alex stood up from the sofa and went over to where Helo had written the note. _Call Commander Adama, tell him that he needs to come to the Barracks ASAP_. Alex pulled the piece of paper out of her pocket that she had been carrying since yesterday and dialled the number.

X

Bill Adama had woken up with Laura Roslin in his arms, her red hair fanned against his chest. He didn't think he could ever be so content as he was right now. He kissed her lightly on the head, stirring her from sleep.

"Good morning."

"Morning," she mumbled back, grasping his chest to make sure he was reality and not fantasy. She leaned up on his chest, and placed her lips on his, drawing out the sensations so she didn't forget a single thing.

Unfortunately, the perfect mood was broken by the sound of the phone ringing.

"You need to unplug that phone, Bill." He smiled, and reluctantly sat up and reached over to get the phone. Laura trailed her fingers around the cord, and then trailed her fingers over Bill's chest.

"Bill Adama's residence…oh hey, listen, now isn't the best time…what! I'll be right over to the barracks, you stay at Starbucks."

Whatever had happened had gotten Bill rattled. He moved Laura out of his embrace and rushed out of bed, and opened the wardrobe. He didn't wear his civilian clothing, but instead opted for his military uniform. He finished putting the pins on his collar before turning to Laura. He gave her a small kiss on her lips.

"I need to go, something has happened. I will tell you all about it later, I promise."

He then left her. On the way to the Barracks, Saul Tigh met him. They were both dressed in their Colonial Fleet uniform; ready to face the lions they would meet there. A Private saluted to them as they entered and headed straight for the holding cells. Once inside, they located Helo and Kara and after a briefing of their transgressions, went to find them.

Helo was sitting at the back of the cell, his hands clasped and not making eye contact with anyone. Kara was kicking the wall of the cell in frustration, burning off some excess energy. When she saw Tigh and Adama, both of them stood up and saluted.

"Alex Charlton called me, said you had gotten in some sort of trouble. I asked, it's a hell of a lot of trouble."

"The guy started it first, sir," Kara retorted, her hands gripping the bars. She hated the look that Adama was giving her, the disappointed look. She didn't care what look Tigh gave her; she knew that he was loving this.

"Yes, he did sir. He broke Alex's wrist and he nearly dislocated Starbuck's shoulder."

"That guy is a Colonel in the Colonial Fleet. And thanks to whichever one of you slammed a chair down on his back, it's likely that he'll never walk again,"

Helo stared at the floor, all his anger melting away. He had used that chair; he was the one that had hurt him.

"It was me sir, Kara didn't throw…"

"-shut up Helo. That's not the real problem."

This time it was Tigh who spoke, but not with the ridicule that Kara had expected from him. "If you two are found guilty, which its likely you will be, they're gonna revoke your flight status."

Starbucks world crashed around her ears. Flying was everything to her, she couldn't do anything else. Apart from shooting and playing cards, flying was the greatest talent she possessed.

"Don't worry Starbuck, I'll sort it."

It wasn't that she doubted the Old Man; it was that she doubted herself and the Gods that the only way out of this was for her to give up her wings.

X

Tigh and Adama were making their way out of the Barracks when a young Sergeant announced that there was someone who wanted to see Adama with a matter of urgency. The way he made it sound led Adama to the idea that it was a superior officer, so he told Tigh that he would meet him later to discuss things. He and the Sergeant made their way to a private room. Opening the door, Adama was greeted by the sight of Richard Adar sitting in an armchair, another one opposite and a bottle of whiskey between them.

"Sit down Commander." There was a large amount of tension and hatred between the two men, but he was his superior so Adama did as he was his told. Adar poured them both a drink and leaned back in his chair.

"I was sorry to hear about your pilot's Commander. Such a shame too, they both had so much potential."

"They did."

Richard smiled as he slowly sipped his drink, letting the taste of the expensive alcohol settle in his mouth. "I'm sure that Lieutenant Agathon will find another job of course. He's an attractive man, got some intelligence in his head. Should be alright."

Bill still hadn't touched his drink; he knew that it would taste like ash in his mouth.

"But Lieutenant Thrace, now that is a different matter. I was reading her file earlier, it was very interesting. A flight instructor turning Viper pilot on your ship, of course she was frakking your son so that may have something to do with it. But, her record on Galactica shows a woman who is constantly in trouble with her superior officers, always fighting. I don't think she's going to find another job that easily, do you Commander?"

Richard Adar had certainly done his reading, and he certainly knew where to stick the knife.

"What do you want Adar?" Bill hissed, not wanting to play games while two of his pilots, the two that hadn't been settled since the decommissioning were awaiting an automatic trial and virtual execution.

"I'm the President, whatever I want I get. Now if I was to tell the Joint Chiefs or whoever is running the tribunal to erase the black mark, to let them go without charge, then they will. The Colonel who they assaulted will be paid off, and no one is going to care about the fate of two pilots in a bar fight."

"What's the catch?"

Richard began to chuckle, but not a laugh of humour but one of despair and despicableness. "Whatever I want, I get, except for one thing Commander. You can save your two pilots if you give up Laura Roslin."

Laura. His Laura. His beautiful, amazing Laura who an hour ago had been laying in his bed and he with her. He tried, in that moment, to imagine a life without her and he found he could not. But then Kara came into his mind, a daughter to him, a daughter who would waste away if she didn't have her wings.

"What do you mean?"

"Its simple. You tell Laura that you don't want to see her any more, make her believe that she was just one frak in a long line of naïve women. If you haven't frakked her yet, then do it soon and then break up with her. You do it in the most heart wrenching way possible, Commander, and your pilots will regain their reputations and their flight status. You can't tell her about the deal, because if you do then your pilots will lose everything."

Bill took it all in for a moment, and his heart felt empty. He would forever hate himself if he gave up Laura to be loved by the prick in front of him. But he would torture himself until his or Kara's death if she lost her wings. He would not lose another child.

"I love her Commander, I'll take care of her. Love her; give her the best medical care possible. She will enjoy her life, I promise you that."

_Laura's face inches from his, her lips trembling with the anticipation of things. Her laugh as they walked down the street. The feeling of her hand within his. _

"So…do we have a deal?"

_Zak, Lee and Kara, the three he considered children and who he loved dearly. He lost Zak to an accident, which he couldn't control. He lost Lee to his brother's death, something which he could control but chose not too. He would not make the same mistake again. _

"Yes. We have a deal."

"Good. Then get it done Commander, and your pilots will be free by the end of the day."

X

Laura sat at her office desk, trying to get the image of Richard on one knee out of her head. She tried to replace it with images of her and Bill last night, and she found she could just wash away any trace of Richard with the memory of Bill holding her while she slept. She decided to call him, he would be at home and she wanted to find out what had happened that morning and possibly a recreation of last night.

"Bill, its me. You okay?"

_"Yeah…I'm fine."_

"Great. Listen, I was wondering if you wanted to come over to mine tonight. I'll make us dinner and…"

_"I can't."_

Laura felt slightly perturbed. She guessed that the events this morning must have some long lasting effects. "Oh. Any reason why?"

_"I just…I just don't want to, okay Laura?"_

"Wh-what?" her voice started to tremble on the phone, she didn't know what he was saying but Richards words earlier that morning were coming back to haunt her. _Bill isn't like that Laura. Don't worry, he'll come back saying that he wants to take you out somewhere expensive for dinner."_

_"I just don't want to go to dinner, okay?"_

"We could go somewhere else…"

_"Gods…listen Laura, last night was great and all, but…I think we should just leave things there, okay?"_

"What are you saying?" Laura had slipped down to the floor, her hand cradling the phone to her ear and trying to keep her heart out of this.

_"I'm saying that things were going great, but they should end there, you know? I mean I'm sure that you've got things you want to do and so do I. Its not you, its me, I just…we don't want the same things, okay?"_

"Bill you don't sound right, are you okay?"

_"Yeah I'm fine - I'll be there in a minute Ellen! I gotta go Laura; I'll get Helo or someone to drop your key back. See you around."_

The bitter sound of the dial tone on the other end of the phone caused tears to build up in Laura and they poured down her face. Her chest heaved with the pressure, and her heart felt like it was breaking. What was wrong with Bill? It couldn't have been him on the phone, something had changed. That wasn't the kind and loving man she had fallen for.

_But it was the cranky Commander who wouldn't let you network his ship._

The door opened a crack, and she saw Richard Adar peek in and see her. He rushed in, his arm around hers in an instant; not caring about how wet his suit got.

"Adama, right? I told you he wasn't the right man for you Laura, he's just in it for the sex. I'm sorry you had to find that out the hard way, my love."

She clutched Richard's shirt, sobbing into it. No man had ever reduced her to this many tears; no man had ever broken her heart in this way. She hadn't just been falling for him; she had loved him, pure and simple. She didn't understand, didn't want to understand. She just wanted things to be normal.

"Don't worry Laura, I'm here. I'm always here for you."

X

_Two Weeks Later_

A year ago he couldn't imagine the scene before him, but that was all change. In the nights where he found he couldn't move without thinking of Laura, he had called Lee. They had talked, talked a lot more than they had in a long time. He looked good, he looked happy. He was seeing someone new, a nice young girl called Paula. He had a new job that he wanted to tell him about, and on the whole things were looking up for the Adama boys.

"Hey Dad," greeted Lee, smiling as his father pushed the cup of coffee towards him. They had met in one of the popular bars in Caprica City, something that wasn't usually his scene, but his favourite place to get a beverage had the memory of Laura and him talking about books.

"Hey son. Talked to your mother lately?"

"Yeah, she says wedding plans are going well. I got the details of my new job today?"

Bill nodded, but his attention was drawn elsewhere. Richard Adar was giving a speech about his plans for health and education in his new term, and they seemed pretty positive. The small television in the coffee place did nothing for him, but even the small screen seemed to capture Laura's beauty as she stood next to Adar, her sparkling engagement ring present on her finger.

"What's your new job?" Bill wrenched himself away from the screen; knowing watching it would already tear his broken heart even more.

"I'm going to be head of the Presidents honour guard. It's not exactly fighting the Cylon's in a cockpit, but it's certainly a step up. What do you think Dad?"

Richard Adar was going to lose the election, and then Bill was going to kill him, that was a promise.

X

Laura was walking down the street, her freeness hampered by the two bodyguards standing close to her. Being the Presidents fiancé had drawbacks, this being one of them. She didn't know what inspired her to say 'yes' to his second proposal, but she knew it had something to do with her breaking heart. Interrupting her thoughts was a body as they collided in the street.

"Sorry," replied a strong voice, and Laura was surprised to see that who she had bumped into was Alex. She was wearing a cast on her wrist and there was the faint trace of a black eye and bruising around her nose.

"Oh my Gods, Alex! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Madam Secretary. Doc said I should heal in the next couple of days."

"What happened?"

Alex shifted her gaze to the ground, not really wanting to reply. "I was caught up in a fight with Starbuck and Helo."

"Gods, are they alright?"

"Yeah, they got charged with assault but the charges were dropped. Guess the Commander fixed things after all. Listen, I've got to go. Congratulations on your engagement though." Laura watched Alex walk away, her head down to the ground and her arm kept safe inside her body.

Why hadn't Bill told her about Starbuck and Helo? Was it after the call? Was it that morning? Either way, Laura knew she had to see them. Seeing that her security detail were busy fussing over Alex bumping into her, she saw it as her chance to escape and make her way across the city to Bill Adama's house.

X

A rabid knocking was at his door, and Bill ran through all the people he had ticked off in the last few weeks or so. None of them were on his doorstep, instead it was Laura. Once his Laura, now she was Adar's. The ring was a diamond, but to him it was like a jagged piece of glass that cut his spirit to shreds. She threw what he was assuming to be his house key into the house and stood there with her arms crossed.

"There's your damn key."

"Thank you."

Laura was on the verge of tears, her voice cracking with emotion. "What happened Bill? I thought we were happy, I thought you…" She couldn't complete, and Bill felt his resolve breaking. He could do it on the phone, but he couldn't say those words when all he wanted to do was kiss her and make things all right.

"Guess you thought wrong." He knew that his voice was betraying him, he was trembling and he so wanted to say what he had longed to say to her.

"I thought wrong huh? Well you are just a frakking coward, Bill Adama," Laura spat, turning on her heel and marching down the path. That broke him, and he fled down the stone walkway to her. He turned her around and brought her into his arms so he could see her face.

"I'm not a coward Laura, it is taking all my resolve not to kiss you right now. I love you."

She didn't know what to say, but she knew that the man on the phone hadn't been him. She didn't know what had happened but she knew that he wouldn't say those words lightly. She thrust herself into his arms and he held her close, whispering the last four words he had said to her. "I love you too Bill," she mumbled through her tears, and he kissed her. He could taste the salt from her tears, the sweetness that was her but it was all tinged with his betrayal. He had hurt her more than anything, and it cut to him worse than any knife.

"Why Bill? Why say those things?" She had to know, more than anything, after he released her from his embrace. He couldn't deny her an explanation, he couldn't deny her anything.

"Helo and Starbuck got into a fight, they were going to lose their flight status. I had to protect my pilots Laura; I had to protect Kara and Helo. Adar gave me…he gave me a choice. I'm so sorry, but I felt that they needed me more than you did," his heart broke as he said the words, but Laura nodded and clung onto him again.

"Its simple, I'll break things off with Richard…and we can be together."

"Kara and Helo will still be in trouble. I can't have that, I'm sorry. It was a lose/lose scenario but if I was with you after the deal then I could never forgive myself. I wouldn't be the man you wanted like that, I couldn't lose another child…"

"I understand, I understand Bill, its okay."

It wasn't, but she understood why he did it. He kissed her again, deeper this time. He held her tight, knowing full well that this would be the last time he would ever see her. "I'm sorry, I am so sorry Laura, I should have…"

"Shush…you did exactly as I would have wanted you to. I'm a big girl, I know what they mean to you."

"Know that I love you Laura, and that I always will."

"I know. Remember that although Richard has my hand, you have everything else Bill Adama."

She kissed him lightly on the lips, and then turned her back on him. A fury washed over her. Richard had been responsible for this, and she bet he had something to do with their charges, it was just the sort of thing he would do. She would play simpering fiancé for a while, but Richard would soon get his comeuppance, and she would be in Bill's arms soon enough. That was a promise she intended to keep.


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks to everyone has reviewed so far!

**Chapter Seven**

When in doubt, or when in some serious amount of boredom, imagine Bill Adama naked. It worked on several occasions during stuffy staff meetings when Richard Adar was outlining his plans for re-election and how all the staff was going to be there and help him to do it. Especially Laura, because she was his guiding light, his star and his heart. If he knew what was going on in Laura's head when he said that, he might change his mind.

_"You taste delicious."_

One week. It hadn't been any longer; just a week since she had seen him, felt his taste in her mouth and the feel of his body envelop her. She missed him; she missed seeing him, talking to him. In the dead of night, with Richard lying next to her, she thought about their last meeting, their bitter kiss. She played it over and over in her head like a sad movie and she just couldn't get the sight of him as she walked away out from behind her eyes.

_He moved his mouth up to her ear, kissing the lobe and blowing. She giggled, she was ticklish there and he knew it. _

"Any questions?"

There was none, and Richard smiled brightly at Laura who stood up to last. Sometimes, she felt sorry for him. Sorry that he loved her when her heart belonged to another man. But then the sensible part reminded her that Richard Adar had blackmailed Bill Adama, holding over his head two pilots that he cared deeply about so he would break up with her. Her body stiffened, her thoughts turned to hatred as she thought about it. You don't do that to someone you claim to love.

She followed Richard into his office, a new confidence flowing through her. As soon as the door was locked, she pounced on him, bringing his mouth to hers in a searing kiss that he couldn't resist. However, before he could get too into it, she broke it off.

"I love you Richard," she said breathlessly. He grinned widely at that, leaning in for another kiss. However, she had other things in mind. Laura put one finger on his lips and pushed him away. She was playing with him, and he loved it.

"I've been thinking Richard. We've been sle-making love for over 15 years now, and I want our wedding night to be special." She had slipped, nearly. Her and Bill had made love, all her and Richard ever did was frak.

"Laura…"

"Richard…I think if we abstain from sex until the wedding then our first night together as man and wife will be extra special."

It looked like Richard was about to argue, but Laura kissed him again, making any argument obsolete. She could deal with kissing Adar; she had for over 15 years. But give herself to a man she no longer loved, in fact despised, was something she couldn't do. The next time anyone saw her naked, she wanted them to have worn Commander pips.

"Fine Laura, you win. Oh, I want you to meet the new head of my honour guard, Captain Adama."

Laura froze; she sat on Richard's desk as he walked over and opened the door. There was Bill's son, Lee Adama, every bit as handsome as his father. He smiled at the President and walked over to shake her hand. She had seen baby pictures of Lee, gone through the scrapbook of his achievements, seen him and Zak grow up in photos. But he would have no idea who she was to her father, and how much his father meant to her.

"Madam Secretary."

"Captain Adama, its good to meet you. You were at the decommissioning of the Galactica weren't you?" She knew he had been, she knew what a good pilot he was and she knew about the argument over Zak's death that he and his father had.

"Yes ma'am, I was. You too?"

"Yes. It was a good time."

"You must know my father then, Commander Adama. He was the commander of the Galactica at the time of the decommissioning."

_His hand in her hair, pushing her to him and up against the wall. She loved this side of him, the rough, playful side that was unlike any of her previous other partners. Bill Adama was like none of her other partners_.

"I was. It was some speech your father gave."

_"You are so beautiful," he murmured as she undid her dress and left it on the floor of the cabin. They had been at dinner and he couldn't stop staring at her the whole way through it. She had been so flushed at his looks, and as she slipped off her underwear, she saw him following her with his eyes. _

"I heard it, my father is known for his boring speeches ma'am."

_Nails scraping his back, slim barriers of fabric the only thing that separates them from each other. Neither of them can break the barrier, the rules of their trip together. Doesn't stop them from trying, teeth breaking skin and lips clashing in a meeting of passion. She can't get enough of him; the thought of him inside her finally nearly drives her from all control whatsoever. _

"Indeed. Well it was nice to meet you Captain Adama."

So much like his father, but yet so far apart at the same time. Looking down at Richard's desk, she saw a date circled for next week. _Frak! The engagement party!_ Laura thought, and she sighed as she left the room, dreading what was to come.

X

Bill was outside, the hot summer sunshine beating down on him as he fixed the last attachments to his model boat. He loved his boat, and loved working on it. It relaxed him, calmed him. However, this boat was nearly finished and soon he would need something else to calm him, especially as his thoughts seemed to turn to Laura more often than not.

He would find he would stare out of his window in the middle of the afternoon, watching two figures embrace through hushed words and tears on his pathway. Stepping into the garden, he would see two figures dance with not a care in the world. In his living room, he would see a woman gripping the sofa to keep herself grounded as the man with her kissed her all over. Bill couldn't even sleep in his bed anymore, he had moved to the spare room. Every time he went in there, he was haunted by the ghost of him and Laura making love all night on his bed sheets.

"Frak."

Bill stabbed himself with the small knife he was using to whittle, and he watched as a few droplets of blood landed on the grass. Even the colour red reminded him of her hair. Cursing, Bill stood up and placed a hand on his forehead. He couldn't get her out of his head, he was slowly going insane.

"You okay?"

Turning around, Bill saw his new neighbour looking over the fence with a look of concern on her face. He had helped her move some boxes into her house yesterday, and she was a nice woman. Her name was Emma; she was in her mid forties and was a teacher. Bill mused that she was attractive; she had blonde hair that she constantly tied up in a ponytail, and shiny blue eyes. She was boringly attractive, if that made any sense. There was nothing special about how pretty she was; especially compared to Laura who was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen…

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, thank you."

Bill nodded and smiled at Emma, and she moved away from the fence and back to her gardening. Going back into the house, he saw that Lee had let himself in and had watched the conversation from the window. He was wearing his dress greys, and smirked as he joined his father by the med kit.

"She looks nice."

"I thought you had a girlfriend."

Lee chuckled at that, leaning against the fridge.

"I meant for you Dad. Mom's getting remarried, I thought you should start seeing someone."

"I see Saul everyday."

"Didn't know you and him were that serious."

Bill gave him a stern look as he washed his finger under some cold water and applied a plaster. Frakking thing stung like hell. He didn't need to be set up with anyone, especially his neighbour. He was still thinking about Laura, it wouldn't be fair on the person whom he got involved with.

"So, anyway, I went to the Government building today and met the President and his fiancée, can you believe that? Apparently she was at the decommissioning ceremony on Galactica. Did you meet her?"

Bill froze. He had met Laura, and so now had Lee. Did he like her? Did he think she was pretty? Did she smile at him, what did he think of her smile? Did he think that she was someone that would…could…should be his stepmother? Love his father? A million questions went through his head, none of them that could be answered.

"Yeah, I did. Gods damn annoying woman."

He swallowed the pain that he felt bubbling up in his chest. He didn't want to tell Lee what happened, it would only cloud his relationship with the President. How could he walk in and serve the President everyday knowing that the woman he was engaged to had slept with his father? Loved his father? Loved him still?

"She seemed okay to me."

Okay was not a word that Bill would usually describe Laura Roslin. Goddess was how he usually described her, and it was a description that he felt was very adequate. For like the Gods, she was beautiful but unattainable, especially to him.

X

Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace watched outside the flight simulator as Alex Charlton rode through a typical Viper flight. The girl kept screwing up; there was no easy way to say that other than that she was. Finally it was over, and Alex stepped out of the simulator to see a very angry Thrace.

"You didn't listen to anything I said."

"You told me to listen to my gut feeling! I did!"

"No, what you did was screw up the basics of flight completely. You had trouble keeping in a straight line, firing and landing. If you were in a real Viper you would be dead by now."

Alex looked as if she was about to cry, and Kara felt angry. She walked away from her, going through the training school corridors until she reached the rec room. Two junior pilots were there playing pool. Seeing her, they finished the game quickly and let her have the room. Helo was also there, reading the _Caprican Times_.

"Things not going well?" he asked from his paper.

"She can't fly."

Helo looked over the top of his paper and rolled his eyes at his friend. "It was her first day in the cockpit. You can't expect miracles. Nobody is going to be as good as you in a Viper, Kara, so don't expect them to be."

"Well I do, okay."

Alex appeared at the doorway then, looking in on the two pilots. Her face was ashen and crestfallen, and Helo couldn't help feeling for the kid.

"Starbuck, I'm so sorry, I'll do better next time. I promise."

"No you won't, because I'm not teaching you any more."

Kara pushed past Alex and headed for the doorway, slamming it in the process. Alex looked at where the lieutenant had gone and then back to Helo.

"Don't ask me, she's been pissed ever since we got our wings back."

Alex looked at her watch and realised she was late for the hospital. Rushing out, Helo was left to finish his paper in silence, but he wasn't concentrating on it. Something was wrong with Kara, and he was determined to find out what.

X

Laura rested her arms on her desk, groaning into them. Engagement party, why had she ever agreed to that?

_"It will cement things with everyone, make sure that we're accepted in our social circle as a couple. It will be good for us, Laura."_

She didn't want an engagement party, didn't want to be seen as the other woman who was becoming a wife. She didn't want to be displayed on Richard's arm all evening for people to poke and look at. The Cancer patient. The mistress. Gods she felt sick.

"Shall we invite some of your old teacher friends?" Billy asked, smiling at his boss in sympathy. She nodded, and looked over the list. They were all good, nice people. It would be fine.

Billy left the room for a moment and came back with a cup of sweet tea. Why couldn't she be pretending to marry Billy? He was a bit young for her, but she could deal with kissing him. Plus, he would never have played the dirty tricks that Richard had to get her hand.

"What about any of the Galactica crew?" Billy asked tentatively, knowing that she had made quite a few friends out of them.

"I think considering I broke the heart of their Commander, they won't want to come to my engagement party to the President." Laura sighed, that's how she saw it. If she hadn't been seeing Richard, if she had broken it off sooner then maybe things would be okay. It was her fault that things were the way they were, why her and Bill were no longer together. Laura sobbed into her arms, couldn't she just die of Cancer already and get this mockery of a life over with?

Across town, Bill was placing his ship in pride of place in his living room. He was proud of his work, and was glad that the project was finally done. But there was a small part of him that wanted to chuck the ship across the room in anger and then get to work on it all over again. For now he had nothing to do but think and fantasise about ghosts.

The phone rang, and Bill thanked the Gods. It was Helo, explaining that Kara had gone 'mental' and yelled at Alex on her first time in the simulator.

"I'm sure that Starbuck knows what she's doing, Helo."

_"Are you sure sir? It's just not fair on Alex, Kara's refusing to train her now and the girl wanted so much to get in the cockpit of a Viper."_

"We'll just have to get someone else to train her, maybe Alex doesn't have what it takes. Starbuck should know, she's the best pilot I've ever seen."

_"But sir, its not just Alex flying."_

The doorbell chose to ring at that point, and Bill hung up on Helo. Too many distractions, he liked the quiet in his retirement. Maybe he should get a pet, or join a club. Maybe he could reread all his classics from scratch and examine them for hiding meanings. Maybe he should just shoot himself now.

On his doorstep was Emma, smiling at him. She was wearing a light blue dress that showed off her assets, but did absolutely nothing for Bill. She was pretty, she just wasn't Laura. _Get a grip man; are you a Commander of the Colonial Fleet or a frakking Cylon?_

"Hey Bill."

"Afternoon Emma. Can I help you with something?"

She smiled at him sweetly, and tossed her hair over her shoulder. Frak, she was flirting with him. What should he do? Smile and close the door? Flirt back? He wasn't used to this, especially when he didn't instantly feel chemistry.

"I've been invited to a party tomorrow night, but I don't have a date. I was wondering, seeing as you helped me the other day, if you wouldn't mind coming with me? I know it's a lot to ask, but I would really, really appreciate it," Emma said, giving him a bright smile.

Bill must have looked like an animal caught in headlights. He didn't know what to say to her. Lee's words echoed in his head, and his own did too. A date wouldn't kill him, and it would give him the answer of whether he could get over Laura Roslin, or whether she was ingrained in his very soul now. He agreed, but dreading the party.

X

Laura walked down the spiral staircase to a rush of applause. Richard was waving at the crowd, smiling at them while holding on to her arm. He was wearing a tuxedo, looking rather dashing. She had her hair coiled up in a bun, and had chosen to wear a long dress of black. It was her funeral dress, mourning the loss of her dignity, her self-respect and her love for Bill Adama.

The engagement party was a success, at least in Richard's eyes. They looked every part the dazzling and happy couple. People were confessing how happy they were that they had gotten together, and that they always knew that they would. The little looks that they had given each other. The strong friendship between them both.

"The smudged lipstick and torn off buttons - Cassandra!" Laura muttered to herself before seeing an old friend of hers. They embraced, kissing each other gently on the cheek before exchanging pleasantries.

Laura looked over to where Richard was after Cassandra had passed on, and saw he was standing with a leggy blonde and a man with glasses. Gaius Baltar, she would recognise the genius anywhere. Going over to join them, she smiled at the couple.

"Laura, this is Doctor Gaius Baltar and his date Sice. Gauis, this is my fiancé Laura Roslin," Richard introduced, and they shook hands and made small talk for a moment before they parted, Baltar and Sice going to the dance floor and Richard and Laura moving to mingle some more.

On the dance floor, Sice and Gaius moved slowly with the music as they watched Richard Adar kiss Laura Roslin on the mouth. She looked tired, very tired.

"They make such a lovely couple," Sice exclaimed, resting her head on Gaius' shoulder.

"Pity about the dying thing, eh?"

"You could solve that."

"Excuse me?" Baltar looked up at his girlfriend for a moment in astonishment. He couldn't believe what she had just said.

"Think of it: Gaius Baltar, the man that cured Cancer. The President would be oh so grateful. Imagine the power, the wealth. The money."

"Money…would be rather nice. But how would I do it?"

"Don't worry Gaius, I'll help you. We're a team, remember?" Six smiled, watching as the President and his fiancé broke the kiss. President's influence would go a very long way.

Laura broke away from Richard, gasping for oxygen. Gods that man had a mouth like a Hoover! Looking around to make her escape, she caught sight of Emma James, one of her teacher friends when she worked at Caprica City High School. Kissing Richard lightly on the cheek, she walked over to her friend.

"Laura! Thank you so much for inviting me! Gods you look fabulous!" Emma exclaimed, hugging Laura as she got close.

"Thank you for coming, it's so nice to see a friendly face."

Laura had helped Emma with her teaching, and the two had become friends. When Laura had moved from teaching to politics, the two had kept in touch. Ever since Laura had been diagnosed with Cancer, she hadn't kept in contact with any of her old friends unfortunately. Emma had just moved, Laura believed, so she should ask how that had gone.

"Oh, this is my new neighbour and my date, Bill Adama. Bill, this is Laura, my old teacher friend and the President's fiancé!"

Her heart had stopped, it was him. Him at her engagement party, him holding the arm of another woman. Swallowing any apprehension she felt, she shook Bill's hand and tried to focus anywhere except the deep blue of his eyes. Such a deep blue, a blue that she could happily drown in.

"Its nice to meet you Bill."

"And you, Laura."

Arms and hands fell back down quickly, not wanting to linger any longer than they had to. A tango started up by the band, and Richard grabbed Laura to dance. His eyes skimmed over Adama's presence, but saw that he had quickly moved on to another woman. Guess his lies about the former Commander were actually true.

On the dance floor, Richard held Laura tight; their bodies close than should be in public. Bill twirled Emma around the floor, and smiled at her as he did so. The music was loud and it pounded in Laura's chest. A single tear escaped her as she watched Bill dip Emma and bring her up to his face. Richard didn't notice anything, and half way through the dance he turned to talk to one of his friends who was also on the dance floor. As the dance reached the climax, Laura saw Emma kiss Bill lightly on the cheek. It broke her. Not caring who saw, not caring what anyone thought she ran. Ran off the dance floor, ran out of the hall, ran ran far away. And she cried, cried into her arms on the garden outside, all alone.

X

Helo poured Kara another drink, hoping that the alcohol would loosen her tongue. It hadn't so far, she had been nursing her drink rather than throwing it down her windpipe.

"You going to tell me what's going on?"

"No."

"C'mon Kara…"

Kara finished the rest of her drink and poured herself another one. The alcohol numbed the pain she felt.

"How do you reckon we got out of those cells Helo? You think the Old Man helped us?"

"I don't know."

"You know him and Roslin have broken up, she's marrying the President. She loved him Helo, she actually loved him, and now she's marrying Adar? Something screwy is going on there."

Helo sighed and nodded, sipping his own drink. It was all very suspect, that was for sure, but there was something else on his mind.

"What else is going on Kara? With Alex and the flying?"

"I won't pass another pilot who doesn't have a feel for flying."

Kara was speeding up her drinking now; chucking back the alcohol like it was tap water. Helo put his hand over hers as she reached for the bottle and squeezed it tight.

"What do you mean?"

"I was the one who killed Zak Adama, Helo. He screwed up, but because I loved him I passed him and he died."

Helo had never seen Kara Thrace cry before, but as she did he held her tight. He was her friend, and he would be there for her tonight and when she told the Commander. Because she had to tell the Commander. That was not an option; no matter how hard it hurt to do so.

X

Laura wore a checked shirt and jeans as she walked up Bill Adama's pathway. She didn't know what she would find inside his house. Emma naked on the sofa? Bill reading her _Dark Day_? She knew she had no right to be jealous because she was engaged to Adar but she felt, by the Lords of Kobol she felt so much.

Knocking on his door, she trembled. But he opened it and he was unshaven and unkempt and the look on his face when he saw her made her smile. It wasn't a 'what the hell are you doing, I have Emma now' smile. It was a 'Laura, thank the gods you're here' smile. It was a smile she loved.

"Hi."

"Hi."

They stared at each other in silence for a moment, neither one of them willing to make the first move and choose a topic of discussion. Bill slowly moved his hand forward and brushed a strand of her red hair off her face and she beamed.

"I saw you run out of the party last night. Are you okay?" he had been worried, but the look on Adar's face was enough to make him stay by Emma's side. It wouldn't help anyone if he went charging off after Laura.

"Not especially, but then is any part of this situation okay?"

Bill smiled weakly at that, the situation just wasn't. "You look good Laura. You look really good."

"Thank you." She thought she must look terrible; she hadn't slept most of last night, but then from the look of Bill neither had he.

"When I saw you with Emma I felt sick. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move."

"She's just a friend, last night was out first 'date', if you could even call it a date."

"I don't know what to do. I can't stop thinking about you."

Bill nodded, and pulled Laura inside the doorway as he saw one of the neighbours come out. Wouldn't be good to see the President's fiancée discussing her relationship with another man.

"I can't stop thinking about you either, I keep seeing ghosts around the house. I keep seeing you on my sofa, in my garden."

"Gods, I wish this situation could just end. Can't I just die already?" Laura joked but Bill jerking her brought her out of that frame of mind. The look on his face made her realise that the thought of her dying scared him more than the current situation.

"Never say that Laura. Never say that my love." He rested his forehead against hers, and she nodded. His hand came forward, brushing a tear that had escaped her face away. Laura closed her eyes, expecting to feel the brush of his lips any second. She wasn't disappointed. It was a soft kiss, but it was enough for Laura to get the taste of him back and she wanted more.

"I can't get you out of my head Laura. I don't not want you in my life."

"I feel the same," she whispered against his cheek. He held her closely, and smiled into his chest. It felt so good to hold her.

"Friends?" he asked, even though he knew that it would be impossible for him to keep himself away from her. Richard Adar better be ready for a fight, he would happily have pistols at dawn for this woman.

"Friends." Was she kidding herself? She wanted him, wanted his closeness, she wanted his love. His friendship would have to do for now.

"Guess I'll see you around."

"Okay, bye Bill."

She kissed him lightly on the cheek and walked away, exhaling deeply. Laura needed to sort things out, and fast.

Inside the house, Bill smacked his forehead in frustration. How could he be so stupid? He couldn't be friends with her, he loved her! Thankfully the phone rang and broke up his thoughts. Picking it up, he answered.

"Hey Commander, its Tyrol. Me and Sharon have got some good news."

"Oh, what is it?"

"We're having a baby!" cried the chorus of Sharon and Tyrol down the phone.

"That's great news, really great. I'm happy for both of you."

"Helo and Cally are throwing us a party, can you be at the Caprica City Park for eight o'clock tomorrow? Bring a date! See you soon Commander," both of them announced, the joy of the impending arrival making them both very happy.

Bill placed the phone back in the cradle and sighed. Where was his whiskey?

X

The party was very nicely done, with banners and balloons separating the rest of the park from the party. Boomer and Tyrol smiled brightly as they were offered congratulations after congratulations about their new arrival. Neither of them had any parents left, so Tigh and Bill were in that capacity, sitting next to the couple with drinks. Bill kept turning to Tigh and imagining what people must be thinking about them sitting together beside the happy couple.

"Stop staring at me, Bill! People are gonna think we're a couple."

Bill stopped staring just for a moment, but then he returned to look at Tigh. Tigh smacked him on the chest, and two ended up hitting each other. The arrival of Racetrack and her new boyfriend stopped their childish antics.

"Congratulations you guys. This is my new boyfriend, Leoben. Leoben, this is Sharon and Tyrol," Racetrack introduced, and the man with her smiled and shook both their hands.

"Congratulations to the both of you, I have a feeling that your child is going to be very, very special," Leoben stated, and Bill looked inquisitively up at him. It was an odd remark, but then he seemed very odd all over. However, his thoughts about Leoben were stopped when three people entered. All three he knew: Billy Keikeya, Alex Charlton and Laura Roslin.

Dee and Gaeta danced on the floor, both of them looking depressed as they held each other. They watched Boomer and Tyrol happy together, Racetrack and her new guy, even couples they didn't know being all happy and romantic.

"Think we'll ever find love Felix?" Dee asked, resting her head against his shoulder and pouting."

"I certainly hope so."

"Think we should make a pact, that if we're not married by the time we're forty we should marry each other?" Dee asked, looking at Felix who burst out laughing.

"Don't be stupid Dee. Come on, I'll buy you a drink."

They weren't the only couple to look depressed. In the corner of the party, the organisers watched as Boomer and Tyrol smiled and joked with each new arrival. Cally watched as the Chief pressed a protective hand over his fiancée's stomach. Helo watched as Sharon kissed his cheek.

"I'm glad they're happy, glad they're having a baby," Cally announced, sipping her beer.

"Yeah, me too."

Cally turned to look at Helo's miserable face and chinked beers before swallowing more alcohol. It was going to be a long night.

Helo spotted Alex enter the party, his guest. Waving her over, she came. Cally smiled and gave up her seat, seeing Jammer join the party. Alex reluctantly took her seat and frowned at Helo.

"Is Starbuck okay?"

Yeah, she just killed the only person close enough to be her father's son. "She's got issues, but I'm working on her. You'll be up in a plane in no time Alex. You may be the daughter of a raptor pilot, but I bet you get viper blood in those veins."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Helo."

"No problem. Thanks for getting Roslin to come, she and the Old Man need to sort things out."

"She was a pain, but me and Billy just lied to her and said we were going out for dinner."

Helo laughed, and swallowed some more beer, steering his gaze far away from Boomer and the Chief. "Guess me and Kara should thank you for whatever you did with our charges."

"'Scuse me?"

"Well you managed to get them dropped, didn't you? You're the only one with the contacts to do so, you used to work for the President."

Alex shook her head, she had thought that the Commander had managed to pull an extraordinary move and get the two out of jail. "Sorry Helo, it wasn't me. I'm sorry."

"No problem, guess I can't explain it then." Helo watched as Laura Roslin moved over and smiled awkwardly at Bill Adama. Kara's words the other night were creeping into his brain. It seemed too suspicious that they were let out the same time that the two of them broke up. They had looked so happy.

"You know what happened with them?" Helo pointed to the couple, and Alex turned.

"All Billy told me was that they argued and they broke up. Surprising though, they made a really good couple and they seemed to really…" Alex struggled for the words, but Starbuck made an appearance next to her and finished them for her.

"Feel something for each other?"

Tigh left to let Laura sit down, and Boomer and Tyrol went to dance. They had the area to themselves.

"Alex and Billy were going to take me out to dinner. Then they took me here. I didn't know you were going to be here."

"Its fine. Tyrol and Boomer are having a baby, everyone's very happy."

"Good for them."

"Guess someone's lucky in love."

"Guess someone is." Laura turned to Bill and rested a hand on his knee. Things were going to be awkward, of course they were. But they would work through it, they had to if their relationship, any relationship, was going to survive.

"Fancy a dance?"

"Love to."

Bill held Laura gently, leaving enough room to get a cow through. They swayed to the music, slowly; they didn't want to get too close. However, someone bumped Laura and she ended up closer to Bill then she intended. He moved his hands from her waist to her back and held her close. More a hug than a dance, but they laughed along with the music. Being Bill Adama's friend wasn't everything, but it was something. Something she could work with for the time being. Because she didn't have a lot of time left.

X

Laura knocked on Richard's office and he smiled and welcomed her in. She sat down on the edge of his desk, making sure that there was some personal space between them.

"I want you to get rid of that blonde thing you call an assistant and hire Alex back. The only reason you fired her was because she knew about us. Now everyone knows."

"Are you jealous Laura?"

Laura groaned and gave Richard a stern look. "Loose the bimbo."

She got half way across his office before she felt his arms around her. She tried hard to stop the bile rising up in her, and she managed to smile.

"I'll hire Alex as well, I need the help. But _she_ stays, she's a good assistant." Laura smiled, acting as if a compromise was what she had in mind. She wondered if he was frakking her, she bet he was.

Bill Adama was out in his garden, unwrapping his new parcel when Emma came outside. She gave a little wave, which he returned, but he didn't go over to talk to her. She was pretty, and she was sweet. She just wasn't his type.

"There we go."

It was a new typewriter, a glorious black affair with a heap of paper by his side. Bill's new project was to write a book, a crime novel like he always read. It would keep his mind off Laura, and it would give him something new to focus on. Putting on his glasses, Bill inserted a new piece of paper and tried to work out how the keys worked.

"She was…s…h…e…w…a…s…damn typewriter. Maybe I should call Gaeta and ask him for help," Bill pondered, screwing up his eyes in frustration.

Later that day, Bill brought a picnic and his typewriter to the park. As he sat down to write his second page, a rush of red hair covered his eyes, and he looked up to see Laura Roslin with her own briefcase full of paperwork. They had agreed to meet up for lunch and enjoy their time as 'friends'.

"Nice morning?"

"Good morning, got Richard to hire Alex."

"Very good. Damn typewriter."

Laura tried to look over at what Bill was doing but he gave her a stern look and tossed her an apple from his picnic. "Not for your eyes yet Ms Roslin."

Laura smiled at Bill's face and ate her apple. When he was noticeably distracted, Laura tried to sneak a look at the paper, but he caught her and tackled her to the floor. She fought him for a moment, but in the end conceded. Friends wrestled, friends joked. Friends felt the pounding in their chest and the strong urge to kiss their other friends.

Seeing that she was at his mercy, he gave in to his urges and kissed her. It was the sort of kiss that took her breath away, and Laura didn't want it to end. However, Bill brought her back to a horizontal position and straightened his glasses. She rested her hand on his arm and squeezed. They both exchanged wicked smiles, and she went to her paperwork while he returned to his writing.

_She was beautiful, red hair, green eyes and full lips. She looked stunning in the long white dress, like a wedding gown at her engagement party. He sucked a long gulp of tobacco as he watched her embrace the Mayor of the city, her fiancé and future husband. She didn't know that her future husband was a murdering piece of filth. But he would prove it, he always did. He would save her, even though he had no illusions that she wouldn't fall into his arms however much he wanted her to. _

_Things started with a girl, this girl the Mayor's lover and best friend of the girl he had fallen for. Gods, when had things gotten so screwed up? He knew three things: 1) The Mayor was guilty of murder. 2) He would catch him and throw away the key. 3) He would try and get the girl, no matter the cost. _


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Laura Roslin was waking down the Caprica river walk, smiling to herself. It was nearly Colonial Day, a time for celebration and renewal. She was looking forward to the parties and the people and the general happiness. However, she wasn't looking where she was going, and ended up bumping into someone, who thankfully caught her before she was knocked to the floor.

"Not going to drag me into the river with you this time, are you?" a gruff voice asked, and Laura looked up to see Bill Adama holding her tenderly.

"Not if you don't deserve it." Was her reply, and he smiled. He pulled her to her feet and they stared at each other for a moment.

"You going somewhere?"

"Just walking."

"Mind if I walk with you?" Bill asked, and the ends of Laura's mouth twitched up into a beaming smile. She would have minded if he _hadn't_ walked with her.

They continued to walk down the river walk together, not holding hands but talking as friends. He was wearing a plain shirt and trousers, she had opted to wear a skirt and a shirt sleeved blouse. Laura caught him looking at where the heat had made the fabric stick to her skin, and the second time he did it she hit him on the arm.

"I'm engaged to be married did you know."

"Really? Well I'll stop looking then," Bill teased, smiling at her flushed cheeks when he continued to gaze down her body. That earned him a whack on the shoulder. In his opinion, it wasn't his fault. She was a very attractive woman; did she have to wear such clothing in the middle of summer?

They passed a coffee shop and were tempted to go in, even if it was just for the sickly sweet smell of freshly baked cakes that were wafting into the open street. However, Laura was less sure. It looked hot inside, hotter than it was outside (if that was even possible) and being stuck on a leather sofa next to a sticky Bill Adama was more torture than she could bear. If they made it out of there in one piece, Laura was sure that her mouth would be on his and her hands underneath her shirt just as they made it around the corner.

"Books going well," Bill announced when he came back out of the shop with two ice-cold bottles of water and two very sticky chocolate buns.

"And when will I get to read this masterpiece?" Laura pondered, taking her share of the bounty and swigging a mouthful of water. Gods that was refreshing.

"Soon. Very soon. Crap," Bill muttered, realising that some of the cream from the cake had ended up on his chin. Laura giggled before wiping it off with her finger, the pad lingering too long on his freshly shaven chin.

"Such a mess." Laura ate her own cream cake tidily, while Bill watched her enjoy the sweet treat. It turned him on more then she would ever know, her just eating that cake, her tongue licking the cream that had escaped onto her fingers. The clock in Caprica City chimed two, and Laura realised she should be heading back to work.

"Same time tomorrow?"

"Always." Bill let her go, watching her with his eyes as she walked back to work.

X

They hadn't seen each other since the decommissioning ceremony on Galactica, and it must have been Zak's funeral before then, but both of them had changed horrendous amounts. Lee Adama was now working for the President of the Colonies and had a very nice girlfriend that he loved. He was no longer bitter or angry with his father. Kara Thrace, on the other hand, was an out of work Viper pilot whose only social life consisted of getting drink with Helo. She, instead, was bitter and angry with herself for the role she had played in Zak's death.

"I'm glad we could meet up for coffee, Kara," Lee stated, taking a sip of his iced latte and smiling at his companion. She looked different in civilian clothing, and her attitude seemed different since leaving Galactica.

"Me too. How are things going between you and…Paula?" Kara asked, plastering on a fake smile as she asked about his girlfriend. Lee was still as handsome as ever, but there seemed to be some weight lifted off from him, the weight of a running feud with his father. He looked good.

Lee talked about how he and Paula were getting on; he didn't mention his plans to propose to her. They had only been dating for a few months, but it was love, that he was sure. He was not going to let another woman he cared about slip through his fingers.

"So things are going good. Have you talked to Dad recently about how things are going with Emma?" he turned to Kara, who seemed to freeze as he said it. The wheel's in Kara's head was turning. Who was Emma? Had the Old Man ever mentioned an Emma to her? Maybe it was the name that Adama had given Laura; after all now that Lee was working for that prick Adar, he couldn't well tell him that he had dated Laura Roslin.

"Last I heard they had a big argument and she was engaged to another guy. But every time I see them together they can't keep their eyes off each other, they'll be back together soon, I hope," Kara explained, and Lee looked shocked. Why hadn't his father mentioned any of this to him? He probably wanted to keep him out of it. Lee was glad that his father had finally met someone who he liked though, and in his mind started hatching a plan to get him and Emma together soon.

"I'm happy for him."

"She makes him happy Lee," Kara replied, turning her head to the left to see the son of a bitch Adar making a statement about Colonial Day. He certainly wasn't getting her vote.

X

Bill was walking through the barracks, hoping to catch up with Helo who was helping some of the Raptor pilots. Now that things were somewhat settled between him and Laura, he could finally turn his attention towards his two pilots that needed help. He found Helo in the deck area, going through a few things with a young recruit.

"Hey Helo."

"Commander on deck," Helo yelled, and the young recruits around snapped to attention pretty fast. Helo grinned and gave his own salute before jogging down to meet him.

"How are things?"

"Pretty good I guess. Some of these recruits are going to be good pilots, they just need a bit of training."

"Good. How are things with Kara?" Bill watched as Helo started scratching his head and tried to come up with a believable lie to tell his former Commanding officer how his favourite pilot was.

"She's pretty good too sir."

"Good." She wasn't, and something was wrong. Bill made a promise to find out exactly what, and said goodbye to Helo. On the way out the door, another Private waylaid him. The last time that had happened, Richard Adar had made him choose between Laura and Starbuck (and Helo as well, but he considered Starbuck a tad more important to him). If he was in that room again with a bottle of alcohol, Bill was going to use it to smash open his head.

Instead he found Admiral Nagala sitting in one of the two chairs with a large bottle of water and two paper cups.

"Forgive the meagre drinks Adama, but unlike the President of the Colonies, my pay doesn't extend to fancy beverages for private meetings."

He passed Adama a drink and offered him a seat.

"Its good to see you again Adama. You were always one of my favourite officers in the fleet, one hell of a pilot too. Shame about the incident a couple of years ago, otherwise you would have had your swansong on a better ship than the Galactica."

"With all due respect, Admiral, the Galactica was my ship and I wouldn't have traded her in for anything."

The Admiral wheezed at that, he was a few years older than Adama but had aged less gracefully. He had a head full of grey hair mixed with strands of blonde, and there were serious scars crisscrossed on one side of his face, a result of the first Cylon war.

"No secret mission for you this time Adama. I thought you might be feeling stir crazy, so I was wondering if you could get together a Viper display for the Colonial Day celebrations. Something special, something with trained pilots like yourself, nuggets of all stages and some good if slightly cocky pilots. Like Lieutenant Thrace."

If there was one thing that Bill had learned of sitting in this chair, there was always a catch, and sometimes a big one.

"What do I get out of this, for being a display organiser?" Bill asked, causing the Admiral to wheeze some more.

"I always did like you Adama. If you do this for us, then the Admiralty will owe you a favour. And considering the private meeting between you and the President in here, and the incident with two of your former pilots, I think you need all the favours that you can get."

"Why me?"

The Admiral stood up from his seat and turned to Bill, a smile playing on his lips. "Because I trust you not to frak it up."

Something else was going on, and Bill put it on his list of other things he needed to deal with. He would plan the Viper display, mostly because he needed the favour. It would come in handy when he would inevitably punch Richard Adar.

X

She walked down the streets of Caprica City, watching everything while seeming to take nothing in. She was Cylon, they were Human. There was that boundary between them that always would be there. Especially when the Cylons enacted what they had in mind.

He sat and watched people go buy in the café in Caprica City, appearing to note down everybody he saw when he really couldn't care. He was Cylon, they were Human. Their minds could not comprehend what he could. They would not understand what was to come.

"How are things going with the Raptor Pilot?" Six asked Leoben as they watched from one of the rooftops of Caprica City. It gave a perfect view of the landscape.

"Good enough. It means I have some access to Sharon's baby; we can keep an eye on how the child grows. How are things going with Baltar?" Leoben replied, framing the image below with his hands. They were like ants, mindless drones with very limited purposes. Cylons were the future.

"He's kept in line by his lust. He's trying to find a cure for the President's fiancée."

"If he does then the President will be in Baltar's debt."

"And thus ours. She has to live, things will be so much easier if they work with us willingly."

Six smiled at Leoben as they walked away from the edge of the rooftop and into thin air.

X

He had managed to track her down at a gym in the back streets of Caprica City. It was used by street fighters, pilots and those that couldn't afford to use a proper Gym. Bill watched as Kara took all her anger out on a punching bag, and with one last roundhouse kick she stopped, breathing heavily.

"Some routine you got there."

"Hey sir," Kara replied, starting again with only a thirty second break. Bill had to actually hold the punching bag away from her so she could concentrate on him.

"What's gotten into you Kara?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," Kara grimaced, trying to hit the bag but he pulled it out of the way again.

"Like hell. Helo thinks its something to with flying."

"Helo has a big mouth."

"Kara!" She stopped and looked at the old man. Helo promised to be there when she told him, he promised. But she had to tell him some time, no matter how many times she promised herself that she would never mention Zak's death. The look on his face was heartbreaking, and she wondered what it would look like when she told him the truth.

"I can't train Alex to be a Viper pilot, because she's a good kid and I like her and I can't let that get in the way again."

"Again?"

"Zak failed basic flight." She had stopped trying to hit the punching bag, but it didn't matter because Adama had let it go. The other people in the room had given them space so they could have this conversation.

"Zak had no feel for flying...when it came to his final check ride he…Gods he screwed up three of the test manoeuvres, and I…"

"You what?"

"I should have flunked him but I didn't. It wasn't you that killed him, sir, it was me. I let how I felt about Zak get in the way of things and he lost his life because of it."

Kara watched as Bill took in all the information she had just given him, and she watched as his face turned to ash in front of her. He looked at her with a burning fury, and Kara wanted to die rather than ever see that face directed at her again.

"Say something…please…"

"There's nothing to say."

With that he left the Gym, leaving Kara alone with tears running down her face. Going over to the bag, she saw nail impressions that had bitten into the fabric of it. Kara let rip and the bag was torn off its fixings and it landed on the floor.

X

Gaius Baltar stared down at his notes and felt like crying. The suggestion of Sice to cure the President's fiancée of Cancer was a good one, and it would secure him money, position and power. It was just the curing of it that was the problem.

"Why, oh why did I decide it would be a good idea to cure her Cancer?" Gaius cursed before grabbing his coat and heading out of his house to get a drink and pick up a woman. Hopefully that would keep his mind off of things until he could start afresh tomorrow.

While he was out, Six came into his house and looked through his research. He had some good ideas, but none of them were going to work. They needed something good, something like a…a miracle.

She smiled and called Leoben.

X

Laura didn't know who would be calling at this time of night, but she suddenly wished she was back at Richard's mansion with expansive security instead of her own house. Opening the door she saw Bill Adama unshaved with his shirt hanging out and a haunted look in his eye. Something was wrong.

"Bill, are you alright?"

"I am now." He stepped over the threshold and took her in his arms. He didn't bother with a soft kiss at first; he went straight in with a blood-pounding kiss that spun her head around and made her legs melt. He buried his hands in her hair and pushed her up against the banister, his body pressing against hers urgently. His motions were hurried, rushed and desperate like a man drowning. Laura knew that something was wrong the moment he had come in the door. Pushing him away, she stared at him for a moment and realised that she was correct.

"What happened?"

"Nothing, everything's fine. Everything's better than fine because we can finally be together Laura." He reached for her and another kiss but she held him at arms length.

"What about Kara?"

"Not important."

That's when she slapped him. Not a proper, angry slap but a kind of wake-up-you-bastard-what-are-you-saying slap. When she did so he looked at her properly this time, but the anger in his face had turned to one of sadness. He looked empty, hollow and completely alone. But he wasn't alone, for he had her.

Moving one step forward, she crushed him to her, holding him steady and rubbing his back. "What happened Bill? What happened with Kara?"

"She passed Zak when she shouldn't have done. She killed him," Bill admitted, and Laura held him closer.

They didn't talk about it for the rest of the night; instead they watched an old film on the television and ate cold pizza that was in her fridge. She held his hand, clutched at his arm, any piece of him to let him know that she was there for him, and always would be. As the sun rose, Bill and Laura drunk coffee outside on her decking, him with an arm around her waist. It was nice, normal and the sort of thing Laura would love to have every morning.

"She didn't kill him, Bill. I know it hurts for you to admit it, but Zak was the one in the plane. Kara shouldn't have passed him, but we all do crazy things for love. Don't lose someone else in your life when you can fix it."

The sun was coming up now, and Bill smiled. She was right. Smiling at her, he pressed her closer to him and kissed the top of her head. He couldn't lose someone else, and he understood what Kara had done for Zak. He would do the same for Laura in a heartbeat.

X

Later that morning, Bill had summoned Helo, Kara and Alex to the Barracks flight area for a meeting. When they got to the ready room, they found a collection of pilots, Saul Tigh, Boomer, and a couple of the other former Galactica pilots. They all stood up and saluted Adama, even though he was no longer a Commander. Although he liked the time to do what he wanted, sometimes he missed putting on that uniform.

"Here is what's going on. The Admiralty have asked me to organise a Viper display for the Colonial Day celebrations. What I've chosen to do is have twelve Vipers from the twelve Colonies, as well as two Vipers riding shotgun and three raptors. The packs in front of you will have your timetables of practice and the passes we will be flying." The pilots around the room started whispering excitedly, this was a great opportunity and a hell of a thing to be doing on Colonial Day.

Once everyone's questions had been answered and people had been dismissed, Alex, Helo and Kara stayed in the ready room. Tigh had given them a smile that reminded Kara of a snake before leaving the room to get a cup of coffee.

"Alex, you're from Picon. I want you to be riding that Viper; I have a feeling that you're going to be a good pilot. Admiral Nagala is letting you have temporary flight status for this, because you're a Presidential aide and he knows your father."

"Nice to have connections," Helo murmured, before the look on the Commander's face stopped him dead.

"Here's what's going to happen. Alex, you are going to eat and sleep Vipers for the next two weeks to get you ready to be in the cockpit. The pilots around you are going to help you out, and you're going to have to handle your work as an aide again with being in a plane. Can you handle that?"

Alex nodded, realising that he was also including her Dad in this from the look in his eyes. "Yes sir."

"Good, you're dismissed. Helo. You need to pull yourself together, stop mooning over Boomer and get your ass in gear. Its all very well you helping out training recruits, but by the end of the month I want you on a raptor on a Battlestar. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Then dismissed."

Helo turned from Bill and headed out the door where Alex had passed just a few minutes ago. That just left Kara and Bill alone in the ready room.

"Same goes for you Kara. You're the best pilot I've ever seen, but your attitude stinks. On another Battlestar by the end of the month, are we clear?"

"Yes sir."

Kara jumped up and saluted and Bill stepped forward and gathered her up in a hug. She clung to him for a moment, glad that things were okay between them.

"We're okay Kara, we're okay. Now lets make sure Alex doesn't break anything."

X

He was going to dinner with Lee and his girlfriend, something that Bill wasn't sure he really wanted to do in the first place. Stepping into the restaurant, he saw there was someone else with them. Emma. Gods he hadn't seen her in a while, but then his life over the past couple of weeks had consisted of his book, Laura and dealing with his pilots. She smiled as he sat with them, and ignored his sons glances between the two of them like he was trying to make something out.

"Glad you two could make it, Kara said that things have been a bit well you obviously know, so I thought we should all have dinner together."

Bill was wondering if his son was insane, he was also thinking about the conversation that Kara and Lee had and what it had contained. Emma was looking especially pretty, her hair was off her neck and her face had only a hint of make up. He gave her an appreciating smile and she blushed. Lee looked like the cat that had got the canary. Bill tried to be a gentleman and pay attention to Emma, but, as always, his mind kept straying to the red head that had been with him as the sun had come up.

Halfway through dinner, between the main course and desert, Bill begged a break for a few minutes and found the nearest phone. Lee had kept manically smiling throughout the whole thing, and Emma had put her hand on his knee twice. He needed to call Kara.

"Starbuck."

_"Sir?"_ She was trembling on the other end of the phone; he must still think he was mad at her.

"What have you been telling Lee about me and Emma?"

_"Just that you had problems, she was engaged to another guy but you guys still really liked each other."_

"That's Laura!" Bill exclaimed at the other end of the phone.

_"Aren't they the same person?"_

"No! Emma is my neighbour that Lee is setting me up with!"

_"Oh Gods. I'm sorry sir, I just…I'm sorry."_

"Its fine Kara, I'll see you tomorrow."

Bill hung up and went back to the table. Emma was still flirting with him, and Lee seemed happy that the two of them were together. Smiling back at her, Bill took a bite out of his cheesecake. This was another problem to add to his list of problems. He needed a whiteboard.

X

Laura was sitting in bed, reading _Dark Day_. Every time she felt lonely or wanted Bill, she read it. She was staying over at Richard's, at his insistence. In the bathroom she heard him flossing and going through what seemed like half a bottle of mouthwash.

"No sex rule still holds Richard," Laura muttered, turning another page.

Richard came out of the bathroom in silk pyjamas and a plush dressing gown. He gave a low purr at the doorway, and it took everything in Laura not to laugh. He jumped on the bed, and grinned at her.

"I've been thinking."

"Really?" Laura closed the book gently and set it aside. She didn't want it damaged, it had been a gift from Bill after all.

"I think we should move the wedding till before the elections. It'll give the public something to celebrate, and hopefully bring more people onto our side. What do you think?"

Laura struggled to smile. The only thing that she had been clinging on to was that it was likely she was going to pass away from her Cancer before the elections; none of the treatments had been working. Therefore, she would never have to go through with the sham marriage to Richard.

"Wonderful, absolutely wonderful."

She felt like throwing up. He wasn't getting any this side of the underworld.

X

It was Colonial Day, and Laura was happy for once. She and Richard had travelled to Cloud Nine to watch the celebrations and the massive air display that had been promised by the Colonial Fleet. What made her happier still was that Richard was in meetings with the Quorum of Twelve all day, and she wasn't needed whatsoever.

She had caught sight of Helo and Kara earlier in the day, and they had invited her for a game of Pyramid on the Battlestar Poseidon, which was the hanger deck for the flight show. Changing into jeans and a Battlestar Galactica sweatshirt that she had 'borrowed' from Bill, she was on the team with the Galactica Pilots against those from Poseidon. She managed to tackle Lieutenant Bridges twice, a man who claimed to have been spotted for a professional team.

Once the second game had been played and Galactica had won, Laura sat by the edge of the deck and drunk a lot of water. Bill and Saul Tigh came through and greeted some of his pilots, but he froze when he saw her standing there. She gave him a little wave and grinned.

Going over, he fingered the sweatshirt on her and raised one eyebrow. "Is that my sweatshirt?"

"If I say no are you going to remove it?"

He chuckled at that before barking orders to the pilots to get ready for the display. Bill gave her another smile before he made his way over to one bird and traced the plate on the side of it. Laura got a glimpse, and read 'Lt. William 'Husker' Adama'. Billy then came to find her and said that her presence was required on Cloud Nine by the President. Waving to Bill she followed Billy, but completely missed a very nervous Alex pacing by the side of a Raptor.

On Cloud Nine, the President, his cabinet and several high value dignitaries and guests were waiting for the air show to begin. Laura was sitting on the front row with Richard on her left, and Billy on her right. He had been twisting and turning in his seat and seemed really distraught.

"Billy, is everything alright?"

"I…Alex is flying today. It's the first time she's ever flown in space." Laura nodded, and rested a hand atop Billy's to try and calm him down. She would be fine, Bill had been teaching her.

Laura looked to Richard who was talking to one of the guests behind him. He didn't seem interested in what was going to happen; in fact he seemed bored by the entire thing. Sighing to herself, Laura decided to watch the flight display.

"…From Tauron. From Picon, we have Alexandra Charlton, and finally from Caprica we have Kara Thrace. Joining our twelve pilots from the twelve Colonies are two former members of the Colonial Fleet known for their piloting skills, Saul Tigh and William Adama. The display is about to begin, so if everyone would like to turn their seats to space?" explained Aaron Doral, the PR man from the Galactica Decommissioning who was also dealing with introducing today's events.

Laura watched in earnest as the Vipers performed a magic display, the moves they pulled off were extraordinary. She could spot which Viper was Kara, the over eager pilot who pulled off the brash moves. Alex was easy to spot too; she was the one in the background who wasn't as flashy but flew with immense control. Bill's Viper had a red stripe down it, and he wasn't too bad in the flying scale either.

She turned and watched Lee Adama watch the Vipers outside. He looked sad, he seemed to miss being out there and flying. Laura gave him a brief smile before returning to look at Billy; both of them watching people they love fly out in the depths of space.

A shimmer of red and blue and yellow sparked out the tail pipes of the Vipers, creating 'Happy Colonial Day' on the backdrop of the black space and glittering stars. The room erupted in applause, something that Laura joined in with. Seeing that Richard was still occupied, Laura and Billy snuck away from the immediate proceedings and grabbed a Raptor to Poseidon to see their pilots.

On the deck of the Poseidon, Billy and Laura could see how happy the pilots were. They were all cheering and high five-ing to great extremes. Once off the raptor, Billy and Laura rushed to find Alex's viper first. Kara and Helo were there already and were hugging her as she got out of the cockpit.

"Nice bit of flying there Charlton. Guess we'll make a Viper pilot out of you yet!" Helo shouted, picking Alex up and hugging her. Someone had bought a bottle of champagne onto the flight deck and was spraying it all around. Kara managed to find a bottle and popped the cork before handing it to Alex.

"Star of the show gets first swallow." Kara held out the bottle out to Alex and gulped it down before cheering in her flight suit. Seeing Billy she rushed over and embraced him.

"What was her call sign?" Helo asked, remembering a night long ago when they had decided on one.

"Frak knows, if she continues we'll have to think of one. C'mon, lets go find Boomer."

Laura watched as Billy and Alex started kissing on the flight deck, and decided to leave them to it. She had her own pilot to find. She managed to find him by his viper, stepping out in the cockpit. He was wearing his flight suit, which certainly looked good on him. She could tell that he had been a ladies man back in his 'Husker' days. Still was.

"Hi."

"Hi. Nice flying, hot shot," Laura replied, and Bill grinned before walking over. She had changed from earlier; her red hair was no longer tied up but instead was bouncing in curls on her shoulder. Her dress was a deep red, but it had straps instead of long sleeves and a skirt that seemed to barely grace mid thigh. Bill made his way over to her, and she took his hand and dragged them off the flight deck.

Somehow, she managed to navigate their way to the pilot's quarters. Obviously the Poseidon was still in active service, but no one was in there. As soon as the hatch was shut, Laura threw her arms around Bill's neck and they kissed long and deep. The adrenalin was still pumping in his veins from his activities out in the cockpit, and now he burned with lust from the woman in front of him. Gods she was gorgeous.

They managed to work their way over to the table in the middle and Bill picked her up and placed her on it. Smiling, they returned to kissing each other while he fiddled with the catch of his flight uniform. Eventually he managed to get it undone, and with the help of Laura managed to pull the flight suit down to his middle. Laura scraped her fingers over his chest, moaning in anticipation. She hadn't intended to drag Bill Adama off the flight deck and have him frak her senseless, but she couldn't resist.

He was hard beneath her fingers as she moved the rest of the flight suit off his body so it pooled beneath them. Bill sucked on her neck, desperate to leave a mark but returning to Laura's lips to taste her there. She felt the hem of her skirt move up her thigh and his hands trace the skin. She trembled underneath his ministrations.

"Definitely the best reward for doing the air display," Bill murmured against her neck, as he pulled her panties down her legs and entered her. There was no ceremony, no drawn out love making that their first time together had been. This was desire between two people who were in love who wanted each other as quickly as humanly possible.

Laura didn't keep quiet, as Bill thrust into her, she wasn't sure if she even could. After a few fierce thrusts, Laura felt two fingers moving against her legs and she gasped. All it took were a few tracings of her clit for her to come undone in Bill Adama's arms. He shortly followed, groaning against her neck.

"Gods I've missed you."

"Me too Bill, me too."

When they were fully dressed again, Bill held Laura in his arms as they kissed slowly and languidly, having their own Colonial Day celebration.

X

The Colonial Day celebrations were in full swing on Cloud Nine, and Gaius Baltar was enjoying being in the company of so many attractive and inebriated women. As he was talking to one, he saw Sice come up from behind her and give her a look that made the young woman leave at once.

"Hello Gaius."

"Do play fair darling, I would have let you join in," Baltar murmured, paying the barman for a drink for his very special friend.

"I've been working on our cure Gaius. I think I'm near to something. I'll tell you more when I've got something concrete. Fancy a dance?" She smiled, and it was impossible for him to resist her.

Kara was on a high from her Viper, she loved flying. Going through the party, she managed to spot Lee in the crowd. Ever since their coffee date she had been thinking about him, and Kara's thoughts didn't tend to stray past flying, pyramid and alcohol. Walking over, she thought she had lost him until she spotted him down on one knee. Holding out an engagement ring in a box to a woman Kara suspected was Paula.

Paula immediately said yes, and Lee and her embraced happily. Kara, though she didn't know why, was crushed. A drink was held out in front of her by Helo, and she happily took it. Guess her feelings for Lee were not in the past after all.

"Guess this is how you feel with Boomer and the Chief."

"Sucks doesn't it. Me and Cally have got a club, you in?"

"Do you have free drinks?"

Helo gave his friend a hug as Kara watched the smiling couples dance around the floor, and the both let out a sigh and went to join Colonel Tigh at the bar.

Laura watched as the couples twirled on the dance floor, and she felt happy. She had changed from her short red dress of earlier to a black dress with a slightly longer skirt. Her hair was swept upwards, leaving her shoulders and neck bare except for a few strands of hair. She was still flushed from her earlier encounter with Bill Adama, and her body was humming. Suddenly, Laura felt an arm around her middle, and she looked up to see Bill in his dress greys.

"You look good, _Commander_."

"You look stunning, _Madam Secretary,_" Bill replied, offering her his hand in a dance. She gladly took it and was swept up in his arms. Laura felt so safe with him around her, she felt complete. They laughed as he spun her around the dance floor, but constantly back in his arms. Tonight they didn't care who saw them, tonight was to celebrate as Colonial Day should be celebrated.

However, they should have cared, for two people did see them.

Lee Adama was having a drink at the bar and celebrating his engagement when he caught sight of Laura Roslin and his father giggling on the dance floor. His mind struggled to comprehend what he was seeing until Kara's words came back to him.

"Last I heard they had a big argument and she was engaged to another guy. But every time I see them together they can't keep their eyes off each other, they'll be back together soon, I hope."

_Oh Dad, what are you doing?_

Richard Adar was chatting with two members of his cabinet, unaware of what his fiancée was up to. Turning to watch the revelry, he caught sight of the couple on the dance floor, having eyes for no one else but their partner.

He should have known that Bill Adama wouldn't give up that easily. He should have known that Laura Roslin wouldn't have been content with just a phone call brush off.

"Robert, can you get me everything we have on Saul Tigh?" Richard asked to one of his aide's, following the couple on the floor as they danced. _You should have stayed away from_ _her when you had the chance Adama._

X

Alex was high on flying. She had never thought to feel something so incredible, but flying had surpassed all her imaginations, all her dreams. Stepping up to her doorstep, Alex felt content. Her and Billy were getting on well, very well in fact. She had her job back. She had flown in an actual Viper! And she had flown great as well.

She should have known that the good feeling wouldn't last long.

Opening her front door, she saw that her father was already home. He had been too ill to take the transport up and watch her fly, but she was ready to tell him all about it now. Going into the living room, she saw her father on the sofa. Doctor Cottle was next to him.

"Hey Alex, can you sit down?"

She did, if she didn't her legs would have given out from under her. Cottle gave her a nod and left the room.

"They've got my tests back, Alex. Its not looking good, things have advanced further then they thought they would. I've only got a few months left."

Alex tried not to let the tears fall, but they came anyway.

One Number Six, One Leoben and Two Doral's stood on the garden outside the house owned by Sharon and Tyrol. They watched it under the guise of darkness, ready for the moment to strike.

"Are you sure about this Doral?" Six asked.

"Cavil wants to learn all we can about the half Cylon child before it's born, so we can prepare for its arrival."

"Do you want to disobey Cavil?"

"She didn't say that."

"If the child can help with our other mission, then it will be worth it. It's the darkest hour of night. Lets go," Six ordered, and the four crept slowly to the house.

Laura was folding up her clothes from the previous day in Richard's bedroom, her body still humming from earlier. She didn't think it was possible to feel this good, and she didn't want to let that feeling go. Richard entered the room and placed a bottle of whiskey on the bedside table. That was funny, Richard didn't usually drink.

"Did you have a nice Colonial Day?" he asked, his voice slow and concise.

"I did thank you."

"Are you sleeping with William Adama?" Laura froze and turned around to face Richard. His eyes were calm and his movements methodical.

"Of course not. I'm engaged to you Richard, I don't cheat," when the words came out of her mouth she realised the mistake. He had cheated, cheated on his wife with her. The fact that they were lies as well didn't help matters.

"I saw you two dancing tonight."

"We talked and decided to be friends. We're just friends Richard."

She turned around to face him, but she didn't have to move very far as he was right before her. Suddenly, his hand was brought up to her face and he hit her, hard, on the cheek. The blow knocked her several feet, but that wasn't good enough for Richard as he grabbed her by the hair and shoved her against the wall. "I will not be made a fool of!"

As he did so, Adar realised what he was doing and let go of her. Laura wasn't going to give him chance to apologise or explain. She ran out of the bedroom and rushed to the study, locking the door behind her and crawling under the desk. Richard banged on the door, but Laura scrunched herself further underneath the desk and traced the large lump she could feel forming on her face.

Bill and Tigh were sitting by the bar, happily drinking the last few hours of Colonial Day away. The day had been a success in many ways, and Bill found himself grinning from ear to ear.

"You look too happy with yourself. What happened between you and the teacher?"

"I'm not one to frak in the pilots quarters and tell my friends, Saul, you should know that," Bill replied before laughing with Tigh.

"Saul?"

The questioning voice froze both men in their seats. It couldn't be, just couldn't be. They turned around in their seats to be face to face with a peroxide blonde in a tight skirt and even tighter shirt on top. The figure was familiar to both of them.

"Ellen!"

Bill felt his good mood completely vanish. Ellen Tigh was back.


	9. Chapter 9

Smut in this chapter, just thought I'd warn everyone.

**Chapter Nine**

_He sat in the gutter of Caprica City, his clothes stained and his blood trickling out onto his chest. He could feel the pain of it all, the bullets that had tore through his body and broken it as well. There was white-hot pain ripping through his body as he tried to move and grasp the edge of the pavement to anchor himself. _

_As he groaned in frustration, his thoughts turned to her. The ache of his chest not even coming close to the pain that he felt without her. Her beautiful smile, her hair the colour of the rising sun. If he was to die here in the cold, dark depths of a Caprica City alleyway, then he wanted his last thoughts to be of her, like they always were when he was alive and well._

_"Laura!"_

Laura Roslin woke up and banged her head against the desk. It took her a few moments to realise where she was, but it was assisted by the throbbing pain she felt on the side of her face and the top of her head. Getting out from under Richard's study desk where she had spent the night, Laura could see that things were much worse than she had originally thought. Looking in the glass cabinet, it appeared that she must have smacked harder into the wall thanks to Richard's hand than she had thought, because the side of her face was swollen and red with purple bruises coming through. It was vicious, and would take a lot of make up to cover up. If she chose to cover it up that is, she could show the press, show them what a mean, manipulative bastard their President was and finally be with Bill. _Call that plan A; decide later when you get out of this room_.

"Laura?"

The voice came from behind the door, and Laura was happy to hear that it was Bill. She would recognise his gruff tone anywhere, with the hint of comfort that she had come to love from him.

Opening the door tenderly, she realised that she was still just in her pyjamas. Although her and Bill had made love before (both in a bed and on a table), she was still getting used to him. This domestic stuff between them had been touched upon briefly when they had watched the sun rise together, and she had loved it. But this was different; this was in Richard's house with the mark of him right on her face.

He was there, wearing his Commander pips and uniform that she remembered from her visit to Galactica. Bill looked so handsome standing in front of her, so much like her knight in shining armour. She didn't remember calling him, had one of the staff called Billy and he in turn had called Bill? Laura didn't care; she just rushed into his arms and threw her own around his neck.

"Laura…" Bill pulled her out of his arms for a moment and stood her at arms length. He inspected the bruising on her face, and touched it gently, causing her to hiss. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. I'm just glad you're here now," Laura mumbled into his chest, tilting her head to look at him. The pool of his blue eyes mesmerised her, and she didn't resist when he kissed her lightly on the mouth. At that moment in time, there was nothing she wouldn't give him.

They left the study and moved down the corridor to her and Richard's bedroom. She didn't care about Richard, all she cared about was the feeling of Bill pressed against her, the sensation of his mouth caressing hers perfectly. They fell to the bed, and Laura closed her eyes and kissed Bill hard. He was comfort, a steady rock to her turbulent life. He was all she needed, all she wanted.

Laura opened her eyes and faced…Richard. It was the same balding hair, the same cocky features and too thin nose that she had known for many years. His dark eyes, so different from Bill's blue. No Colonial Fleet uniform, just one of his tidy suits of power. Richard frakking Adar, not Bill Adama. She felt like throwing up.

"Laura? Laura, are you alright?"

The Chamalla. It had to be the Chamalla. Gods, she had taken some last night to calm her down after Richard had hit her. Gods damn that drug and its damn hallucinations. Gods she had nearly gone to bed with Richard after what had happened last night. She really felt sick now.

"I'm fine. Just have a headache."

She pushed Richard off her harder than she should have, but she was bitterly angry with him and felt that after last night he deserved it. Slamming the bathroom door, she looked at the bruises in the mirror and started to cover them up with a thin treatment of make up. Although it would do to keep her out of the public eye for now, it still couldn't cover her fear, and her hatred of the man next door. This was the end of things; she would not tolerate being hit.

Richard had tried and failed to talk to her again, so he had left for work. Laura had opened the bathroom door and packed all the things that she had in his house. She wouldn't be coming back here, she knew that much.

Leaving Adar's house, Laura went for her appointment with Doctor Cottle. The swelling had thankfully gone down, but in herself Laura felt frightened of her own shadow, and she hated that. She avoided eye contact in the waiting room, not wanting to talk to anyone. Thankfully, Cottle's receptionist called her in quickly to be seen to.

"Well, unfortunately young lady, none of your medication seems to be working. We'll put you on the other group of drugs, but…Laura…" She wasn't paying attention; instead she was looking out the window. A large lock of hair was covering her face, and Cottle hoped that flicking it might get her attention. However, when he moved her hair out the way to see the bruises she yelped and he choked.

"Which one of your boys did that to you?" he asked, wiping off the make up and applying a salve to the bruises. It burned for a moment before it started to calm down, hopefully healing Richard's handiwork. "I'm guessing it wasn't the one that people would normally think of."

"It was Richard, yes," Laura stammered, watching as Cottle lit up another cigarette and frowned.

"Prick just lost my vote."

Laura giggled for a moment, but then became quiet as Cottle handed her the latest test results. Things were not good. Despite the Chamalla, and the treatments she was still dying. Things just got a whole lot worse.

"How long?"

"Six months is my best bet."

She felt tears trickle down her cheeks, finally believing that this was really happening to her. Cottle watched Laura, feeling very sad about what was happening to her. There was a man with all the power in the Colonies who loved her, who was paying for medical treatment that wasn't working but he hit her. Then there was a man with no power and hardly any influence that would give her Kobol if she asked for it, and she loved him, there was no doubt about that. No real friends, no family left any more, only a love triangle and a cranky physician in her life. Cottle did the only thing that he could think of and he hugged her. She gripped him so tight that Cottle felt like his chest would burst with pity for her.

X

Bill Adama was not sure when he began to hate Ellen Tigh. Maybe it was her cheating constantly on Saul when he was in space. Maybe it was her constant flirting with anything that had a pulse, including him on _several_ occasions. Or maybe it was the fact that her voice could drive a man to suicide.

"…so this guy just keels over, right in front of me! I couldn't believe it! Then it hits me that this guy with everything in the world has just died, and I'm living on Picon without the love of my husband! So I got the first transport to Caprica to see you, Saul."

Looking at his friend, Bill realised that he actually believed his wife. Bill knew better, from experience. From having Saul stay on his sofa when Ellen had kicked him out. From the fact that her foot was now nestled tightly against his crotch. Some things never change.

He had agreed to this breakfast meeting to help Saul through things, but he suddenly realised that this was a bad plan. For starters, he couldn't stop thinking about Laura and the feel of her under him. Colonial Day was haunting his every move. That was probably the reason why Ellen thought she was turning him on, and kept stretching her foot on his crotch. Thinking of Laura in that skimpy dress in the pilot's room was making him as hard as anything.

"Well as much as I would like to stay for a while and catch up, I have someone to meet."

"Girl or guy?" Ellen asked teasingly, smiling up at Bill.

"None of your business." Bill said straightforwardly, smiling back at Ellen and resting a comforting hand on Saul's shoulder.

"Take care of yourself Bill, that girls trouble!" Saul called after Bill as he made his way out of the door and outside the Tigh's residence. Inside, Ellen rested her hand on Saul's thigh and asked, "What girl?"

Bill had never been so thankful in all his life to get out of Saul's house. Gods, that woman…she could drive a sober man to drink. In fact, she had, Saul had never drunk half the much he did at present before he had met Ellen. Walking down one of the streets in Caprica City, Bill saw what he had been looking for.

His redhead woman, the lovely Laura Roslin. Jogging up one of the pavements, he came up behind her and slotted two arms around her. However, he was pushed away. Not the reaction he was expecting. When she turned around to see who it was, she looked angry with herself for her actions.

"Sorry Bill, I've just been to see Cottle."

"Its okay, its okay." She tensed in his embrace, and Bill wondered if he had done something wrong. She hadn't asked him to come to the clinic with her, maybe he should have gone. Stepping out of his arms, he saw there was a shadow on her face. Moving back some of her hair, Bill growled as he saw the large bruising there. He could only think of one person who could have done that to her.

"Adar?"

"Yes."

"I'll kill him."

Bill stormed up the street, his fists balled and anger etched onto his features. Laura rushed ahead of him and placed two hands on his chest. "Bill, you can't. He's the President of the Colonies!"

He stopped in his tracks, anger running through his veins. "No one gets to hit you Laura, no matter if he's the President of the Colonies, the President of the Universe or one of the Gods themselves!"

Laura looked tearful as she watched Bill look at her with pity. He felt sorry that she had been hit, and that he wasn't there to stop it. She didn't want that, she didn't want his pity. She didn't know what she wanted. "Don't look at me like that Bill."

"How am I supposed to look at you? Richard Adar has just hit the woman I love, I'm supposed to just let that slide?"

"Yes! Because he is the President and he would eat you alive, Bill."

She turned and walked away from him then, she couldn't look into his face and see what was staring back at her. He grabbed her arm, but the forcefulness of it made her rip his hand away and run. The touch was too hard, too much like last night. It had not been his intent, but she just couldn't…she just couldn't.

Bill watched as she walked away from him, the sight of the bruises on her face eating him up inside. His anger built up until he brought his fist down into the wall of a bus shelter, smashing the glass around his fist. Blood pooled around his knuckles, but he didn't feel any pain. Just the sense of idiocy that he had grown accustomed to when it came to his relationships.

X

She didn't know why, but Helo liked to listen to Jazz when he was doing target practice. Starbuck hated Jazz, but she never made a fuss. After her flight on Colonial Day and her father's lapse in health, Helo and Kara had decided to take Alex to her next step on her way to being an officer. Or potential officer, if Alex ever had the guts to enlist. On her lunch break from the Presidential office, Starbuck and Helo had taken her out to shoot a few rounds.

"So, did you notice the Admiral looking a bit ruffled after our flight the other day?" Helo asked, shooting a few rounds point blank into the target. Starbuck rolled her eyes and helped Alex adjust her grip.

"So? We were flying, of course he looked ruffled you idiot."

"Well if the sounds coming from the pilots quarters were anything to go by, he wasn't flying solo after the flight."

Alex's shot went wide and hit another target as Starbuck and the young aide turned around to face Helo who was smirking like a mad man.

"You are kidding me!"

"Nope. By what me and a couple of the other pilots heard, the Old Man's still got it."

Starbuck mimed a gagging motion and brought her hands back to Alex's gun. "I didn't need that image in my head, thank you Helo."

They continued to shoot for a moment, Alex getting the hang of things pretty quickly. Helo rested his gun before saying, "Did you hear that Colonel Tigh's wife is back?"

Another shot of Starbucks went wide and she turned to Helo with a less than amused look. "What are you trying to do to me Helo? Seriously?"

X

He didn't know why he had offered to host a dinner at his house, especially as he was still fuming over Adar hitting Laura. Bill hadn't said much over the meal, a fact that Ellen was trying to compensate for. Every time she said something, she directed it to Bill. Starbuck had noticed this, so she was asking Tigh how things were going in his retirement.

The food was just about edible, but the alcohol surely made up for that fact. It was Bill, Starbuck, and then two couples, Ellen and Saul, and Lee and Paula. Paula was invited, as she was now Lee's fiancée, something that his son hadn't bothered to share with him until that night, much to Ellen's amusement. Saul didn't say much, he had been watching Starbuck's reaction to the newly engaged couple in front of them and feeling sorry for her, something he never thought he would say about Kara Thrace.

"So…Saul says you've gone out with your neighbour a few times Bill. What's she like?" Ellen asked, grinning oddly as she said it.

"She's passionate, very pretty, and she's a redhead…no, sorry Dad, thinking of someone else," Lee said with a bitter tone to his voice, and Bill realised that Lee had some idea of what was going on between him and Laura. Or not going on, considering their argument earlier that day.

Before Starbuck or Saul could take Lee up on his words, the doorbell rang. Considering it was his house and he desperately wanted to get away from the table, Bill got up and went to the door. He opened it, and the person on the doorstep was the person he least expected to see.

"Hi Bill."

It was Laura, tears staining her face and with smudged mascara. The bruising on her face was now a dark purple, but the swelling had gone down completely. She was standing there, wearing dark jeans and a blue checked shirt over the top of a white vest. Her hair was tied back in a half ponytail, but was all over the place. To anyone else, she would have looked a mess. But to him she looked beautiful.

"I'm sorry about earlier, I just…I love you Bill, I hope you know that."

She expected him to yell at her, to slam the door in her face, anything but what he did considering her reaction, however justified, earlier. But he smiled and stepped forward, cupping her face between his two hands and kissing her gently. It was tender, it was perfect, it was an Adama kiss.

"I love you Laura, even if you are a pain in my ass."

She giggled and threw her arms around his neck, holding him tight. He picked her up from the waist, spinning her around on his doorstep in happiness. She had come back to him; she had come back to him.

From the dining room window, the guests could see what was happening with Bill and Laura Roslin. In his hand, Lee's wine glass crumbled underneath his fingers. Ellen watched the scene with amusement and a sense of mischief. Paula tried to help her fiancé. Starbuck and Saul watched the events with both happiness and sadness, because although the couple were happy and in love, they had a feeling that they would not stay that way.

X

Laura sat on Bill's sofa, legs tucked under her as he cleared away from diner. Lee and Paula had made their hasty escape, Bill's son not looking at either of them. Laura had been introduced to Ellen Tigh, a thoroughly distasteful woman who Laura would rather not meet again. Saul and Starbuck had been more than pleasant though, and both had winked at the two as they left.

"I'm sorry I got you into this mess, Bill," Laura said from her seat as Bill walked past her to the kitchen.

"You didn't cook the dinner!" was his reply.

"No, the whole mess with Richard. I'm sorry," she apologised and she felt him walk beside the sofa and kneel down next to her. He ran a finger over her lips and kissed her gently on the forehead.

"I'm not. You are worth it, Laura, worth everything that comes my way. I love you, I don't regret that. Now stop saying I'm sorry and figure out what you want to do first."

He planted another kiss, this time on her lips, and stood up to start clearing up some more. Laura just watched the way he moved, the way he hummed when he washed up. Soapy water would feel good right about now, and she decided on her next action.

"Can I have a bath?"

"Of course you can, you look a bit grimy around the edges." That earned him a playful whack on his shoulder, but he took her hand and kissed her knuckled softly.

Bill ran the bath for her, it was in an elegant bathtub in his bathroom and she could tell that it didn't get much use. It obviously had come with the house, because there was a shower and she could tell that Bill was a shower person. Mmmm…Bill in the shower. That would be quite interesting to see.

He took off her shirt and let it drift to the floor as he kissed her again. His hands were buried in her hair, and his mouth was taking its time on hers, not that she was complaining. But eventually, Laura pressed a finger to his lips and motioned to the bath. Bill got the message and left with the promise of bringing some tea up to her.

She stepped into the bath and revelled in the warm feeling that had enveloped her. The hot water soaked through her skin and relaxed the muscles that had felt so tense over the past couple of days. Past couple of weeks, past couple of months. The water relaxed her, made her steamy and made her finally feel like a human being again.

There was a knock on the door, and Bill entered, carrying a tray with a cup of tea and some chocolate biscuits. He placed them down on the wash basket he had dragged over to the bath and poured Laura a cup of tea.

"Feeling any better, Laura?" Bill asked, and she nodded, taking a long swallow of tea. Gods she could get used to this.

"Much. I should have had a bath in your house months ago." She loved it when Bill laughed, it looked good on him. He swiped one of her biscuits and munched happily as he dug out shampoo for her and placed a fresh pair of his tanks and his robe for her to wear after her bath.

He leant down beside the edge of the bath and put a touch of bubble bath on her nose. He smiled and leaned in for a kiss, and Laura suddenly felt very mischievous. While Bill was engaged with her mouth, she continued to move further away from him slowly so he had to keep moving. When quite a lot of his torso was over the bath, Laura grabbed Bill by his collar and dragged him in with her.

"Laura!" Bill exclaimed as he was completely in the bath with her, water slopping over the sides and his clothes soaked.

"Felt like some company," Laura murmured, returning her mouth to his in a passionate kiss. Giving into her, Bill returned the kiss and helped her pull his shirt over his head. They both reached down to his waist and tried to undo his belt buckle, he and Laura laughing as they tried to get his belt undone with all the bubbles around them.

Once Bill was devoid of all clothing, Laura was sucking on his neck, inhaling his scent. His own mouth was concentrated on her collarbone. Neither of them had ever had sex in a bathtub before, a shower yes, but never a bath. It was a luxury of domestic bliss that both of them loved in that moment.

Bill pressed Laura down horizontally so he was on top of her in the bath, what little water left covering both of them. He kissed her breasts, sucked on the nipples that had hardened in the air compared to the hot water. Laura moaned as she felt Bill's hardness brush her thighs, and clutched onto his hair wildly when a particular lick of her nipples sent tremors through her body.

Once secured in the fact that she was aroused, Bill moved for two items in particular. Covering the sponge in soap, he proceeded to wash Laura, running the material over her sensitive breasts in small circles. He then moved the sponge to cover her stomach, delighting in the outcome of his ministrations when Laura kept biting her lip to stop herself from crying out. He then travelled the material down lower, and he spread her legs to wash her down there. The sponge went over her aroused clit, causing Laura to moan in pleasure. He kept moving the sponge in long movements, and her fingers turned white as they gripped the edge of the bathtub.

He stopped and kissed Laura again, realising there was so much he wanted to do but couldn't in the bathtub. However, it was Laura's turn for a little bit of fun as she turned the sponge down onto his hardened member. Bill growled at her actions, but didn't make any move to stop her. The water was going lukewarm, the air was steamy, and Bill tried to position Laura so he could enter her. They finally managed to find a position that worked best for them, and he slowly started to thrust into her aching wetness. They both came together, the heat of the room making them sluggish but happy.

X

"Six months."

"There maybe something that the Doctors could do. I'm not giving up on you yet Laura," Bill replied, holding her close to him. They were on the sofa in his living room, him in boxers and tanks, her in her panties and a pair of his tanks, but his robe covering her. Coffee for him, tea for her, two bowels of ice cream sitting eaten. They held each other for a moment, before Bill stood up and left the room for the moment. He came back carrying a sheaf of paper, his manuscript.

"I want you to read it, give me your professional opinion, Ms Roslin."

"Okay, I'll do just that but I expect an apple on my desk in the morning."

It was the middle of the night, and they walked to his bedroom together. Bill yawned as he got into bed, and Laura stepped into the duvet on the other side, a private tingle running through her. She rested her head on Bill's chest as he held her. Sleep soon over took them, but both of them had happy dreams that night.

_"Laura!"_

_He clutched at the pavement, but his fingers were too covered in blood to get a good, solid grip. He groaned again, crying out in the street as he felt the life slipping away from him. He would never get to see her face again, and he wept not for himself, but for her. _


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

_She could feel the pressure of his chest underneath her fingertips, the once strong beat of his heart now fading. She wanted to do it all again, so many choices that she wished she could take back. _

_He groaned, a sign of life no matter how painful it was. She wasn't going to give up on him, she owed him that much. _

**09:30 hrs **

Laura jerked out of her sleep and wondered for a few moments exactly where she was. Her face felt sore, and so did her legs. In fact she ached all over. Looking around, she got her bearings and realised that she was in Bill's warm house, and that the gently snoring figure beside her was Bill Adama.

_Blood. Lots of blood. Pain. Endless pain. _

The dream that she had was like a forgotten memory, it kept stirring in her brain and she couldn't figure out exactly what it was. But Laura felt pressure on her stomach and a hand glide over it and pull her back to the mattress. She forgot all about the dream and just concentrated on the man next to her.

"Good morning," said Bill, still half asleep but happy to be beside her. Laura replied to him with a kiss, which soon woke him up. His hands shifted underneath the tanks she wore, and stroked the skin underneath. Laura purred underneath his fingertips, everything that man did to her felt so good.

"Breakfast?" he asked, sitting up with her in his lap. Laura nodded and kissed him again, relishing in the feel of it all. Happiness, she realised, was what she was feeling. It had been a long time since she had felt anything like it.

Downstairs, Bill was trying to prove what a culinary talent he was. Trying, and unfortunately failing. Laura was sitting atop the kitchen table, watching him as he tried to find some eggs for their morning fry up. He kept cursing when he couldn't find anything, and to Laura he looked downright adorable in boxers, tanks and stubble. Giving up, Bill went to Laura and placed too hands on her waist.

"Looks like we won't be having any eggs with our breakfast."

"Doesn't matter, didn't come for the food," Laura smiled, putting her hands around Bill's neck and bringing him down to her mouth. Growling as her tongue met his, Bill spread Laura's legs so he could step between them and place both palms on her bare legs. He began to stroke her inner thighs while his mouth moved to caress her collarbone with tiny nips and slaving kisses.

If there hadn't been a knock on the door, then Bill would have had her right there and then. But there was, and Laura slipped off the counter to answer it so Bill could concentrate on their breakfast. All she was wearing was tanks, her underwear and Bill's robe, her red hair spilling over her shoulders. Opening the door, her face fell.

"Richard." He was standing on Bill's doorstep, his face speaking of his heartbreak. He was holding a bouquet of flowers, and looked over her state of attire with despair.

"When I saw that you had packed all your things, something in me knew you would be here. Guess what, it was right."

"Richard…"

She didn't know what to stay, but Laura was glad when Bill came up behind her and rested an arm around her waist. Slightly possessive, but seeing in the hallway mirror the bruising that Richard had inflicted on her, Laura could understand.

"Mr Adama."

"Mr President. Don't be offended if I tell you to frak off."

Richard chuckled and stepped forward into the house. Bill also stepped forward, putting Laura behind him. He was damned if he was going to let the bastard have another pop at her.

"I just wanted to make sure Laura was okay."

"Like hell."

"I never meant to hurt her, Adama, you have to believe that. But if you loved her as much as I do, then you would get as angry if you saw her with another man," Richard explained, but Laura could see that Bill wasn't buying it. His jaw was clenching, like he was trying to stop himself from hitting the man in front of him very hard.

"I would never hit a woman, let alone Laura. You don't do that to someone you love," Bill replied.

Adar could not see that he was getting through to Adama, or Laura, who was looking at him in serious distaste. He could see in that moment that she would never return to him. She had seen his vicious side, and had paid the price for it. Whatever time she had left, it would be spent in the arms and the bed of Bill Adama. He couldn't do anything to bring him and Laura together, so the only thing left was to break them up, permanently.

"I wish you good luck Adama, its obvious that she loves you very much. I thought she loved me once, but then that was a long time ago. I would just watch out, though, she's still a mistress at heart. Helped me cheat, helped you cheat. Red is the colour of lust and Laura is a text book who-"

He didn't get to finish what he was going to say, as Bill had smacked him right in the jaw. Adar went sprawling over the doorstep and onto the pathway, his lip bleeding and pain ripping through his jaw. He may have actually broken it. In Adama's eyes was a sense of fury and hate that startled the President. This wasn't a man to mess with in hand-to-hand combat, for the former Commander would surely win.

"You ever come near her again, and I will shoot you, President or not. This isn't a threat to your life, it's a warning for you if you ever, _ever_, touch her again."

With that he banged the door closed on the outside world. Inside the hallway, Bill was flexing out his hand, testing the knuckles. That had felt so good. Looking over at Laura, she hugged him, realising that finally Richard Adar was out of their lives. Bill kissed the top of her head and held her tight, happy in what he had accomplished for their relationship.

X

"Humans, how I hate them."

Six sighed as she met with Cavil, Leoben and Doral. He had wanted to make sure that everything was going well within their different assignments and that they were on track for the plan.

"They're our parents, they created us."

"Hmm."

She sighed once again and turned to Leoben for help. He was decidedly stubborn, just drinking from his cup of coffee on the rooftop of the building. Doral was also silent, but then again he only spoke when he had something to say.

"Well, how are things going with our master plan children?" Cavil asked, looking over at his three young Cylon brothers and sisters. He had seniority, he didn't know whether it was because he was older than them or because he simply had _gravitas_ to whatever he did.

"Baltar is working on a cure to help the President's fiancées Cancer. Unfortunately, there have been some minor complications."

"Complications?"

This time it was Doral who spoke. "It seems that Roslin has fallen out of love with the President. Instead, she has fallen for a retired Commander of the Colonial Fleet."

"The Galactica Commander."

"Yes, Bill Adama. The President is still in love with her, although he realises that she will most likely never return to him."

Cavil pondered this for a moment, this was certainly a problem. Their big party had been postponed by a vote at the last minute, on the idea that it would be easier to deal with what would be left of the Human race if the President cooperated. Unfortunately, people had a tendency to let people take their lives rather than assist, but put someone in front of a gun who they loved…help would always be at hand.

"Kill Adama, simple."

"Won't work." This time it was Leoben speaking. "Sharon used to work on Galactica, death of the Commander would get her all worked up, may damage the foetus."

"How is the child?"

"Still fine after we extracted the blood for testing. It may help us in other goals."

"Good. Leave the Adama problem with me, I'll get back to it soon enough."

The other three Cylons left Cavil on the roof of the building contemplating life and the Humans who he loathed. Insects, tiny little insects with sole purposes. Insects that would soon be crushed.

X

**12:42 hrs **

Lee had left Paula at home so he could talk to his Dad alone. He didn't know what his father thought he was doing, but it was time to get some answers. Knocking on the door, he found his father with a grim expression on his face that softened when he saw it was his son.

"Hey Dad."

He walked in uninvited, hopefully letting his father know that something was wrong between them. Lee sat down on the sofa, noting a perfume scent in the air. Obviously Laura Roslin had stayed over the night.

"What's up Lee? You look like you've got something on your mind," Bill stated, taking a seat opposite his son.

"You and Roslin. What do you think you're doing?"

"Well an hour ago we were in the garden watering my grass with a hose."

It had been enjoyable. Emma was out, and so was the neighbour on the other side, so Bill and Laura could make as much noise as they wanted. He had started out by spraying the grass to keep it green, but had ended up catching Laura with the water. She had been soaked in a matter of minutes, enough so he could see the curve of her breasts underneath her shirt. She had tried to tackle him, but Bill had flipped her to the ground. After that, well, Bill never thought that getting grass stains could be so enjoyable.

"I mean you sleeping with another man's woman, Dad."

"That 'other man' is a son of a bitch."

"It doesn't matter Dad! Adultery is a sin."

Lee stood on his feet at that point and Bill faced him. Both were passionate about this subject. Lee didn't believe in adultery, he loathed cheating and hated to think of his father doing that, especially considering that Bill had been there for Saul Tigh when he had been hurt by his cheating wife. Bill was in love, and he would do anything to be close to her. As for Richard Adar, he was a bullying piece of filth who deserved everything he got.

"I love her Lee."

"She cheated on Adar's wife with him, and she cheated on Adar with you. How do you know she's not another Ellen Tigh? Gods Dad, have you even thought about what happens when it gets out that you're frakking the President's fiancée?"

Bill looked down at the floor, he knew how Laura felt about him and he trusted her more than anything. If that made him a fool or naïve, he didn't care. He had never felt this way about a woman before, and he didn't want to let that feeling go.

"I love her Lee."

"Well I hope she's good enough Dad. Sorry I won't be around to tell you I told you so when she leaves you for someone else."

Bill found he had the urge to smack Lee in the face, but he wouldn't do that to his own child. He watched as Lee left the sitting room and headed for the door. If his son wanted to be childish, then that's the way he would play it.

Lee was opening the door and out on the path when he found a hand clenching his arm. Turning around, he was disappointed to see that it was Roslin and not his father. She looked calmer then she had done previously, but there was also bruising on the side of her face.

"Don't blame your father Lee, it's not his fault. Don't let him lose you again."

"Well thank you for your concern, but its none of your frakking business."

Lee pushed her away and kept down the pavement. A few streets from his father's house, he started replaying the scene in his head. His father would never hit a woman; in all his time married to his mother he never hit her. The bruises might have come from a mugger, or a bar fight but in his heart Lee knew that they came from Adar. Groaning to himself, Lee realised that he had been an idiot and had probably cost his relationship with his father as well.

X

Gauis Baltar was not expecting Richard Adar to enter through the door of his laboratory, but enter all the same he did. He looked weary, looked like some great burden was on his shoulders. All Baltar knew was that he wasn't fond of being people's confidantes, especially the President of the Colonies.

"You said you were working on a cure for Laura's Cancer?"

"I think I'm pretty close to something Mister President, I really do. Just needs some tweaking and some more theory and then I'll be there."

"Good."

"Great."

_Why won't he leave? Why is he still here? What does he want?_ Baltar was worried; the President was still in his lab.

"What would you do if the love of your life was in love with someone else?"

Baltar didn't fall in love, so the question didn't apply to him. But he could see that the President desperately wanted an answer. Had him and Roslin had a fight? Was he going to need this cure? Was he going to get the fame he so desperately wanted?

"I would do everything in my power to get her back."

After Baltar's reply, he left, and Baltar could return to his work.

_She could hear his groans, hear his pleads for life and she couldn't do anything. It was like time had froze and the Gods were punishing her for everything. Punishing her for her life and for something she didn't know what. They were going to take her soon, why take him from her so quickly? There was so much she wanted to know before she went to Elysium. _

_  
"Please, Lords of Kobol, don't take him from me."_

Laura closed the last page of Bill's manuscript and sighed. It was a good book, a very good book. There were a few grammar mistakes and punctuation errors, and Laura decided that she would go over them in greater detail later in red pen and red lingerie. She smiled in the coffee shop, relaxing in the environment. She was just down the street from where Bill lived, where people didn't gape at her face so much.

"Mind if I sit here?" a small woman with beads in her hair asked, and Laura offered her the chair. From her own reading material, it seemed like the woman was a priestess.

"Laura."

"Elosha. Are you a publisher?" she asked, pointing to the manuscript in front of her. Laura chuckled and shook her head.

"No, my…my partner is writing a book and I'm just going over things for him."

"Sounds nice."

They sipped coffee and ate their own counter delights in silence for a few moments before Laura decided to resume conversation. Bill was picking her up after he had been to see the mechanic. Apparently the last time he had gone to fix his car he had damaged the engine beyond repair. Bill's excuse was that there was a huge difference between a Viper and a car.

"Are you a priestess?"

"I suppose so. I analyse the ancient texts, look for meaning in modern life. As a side business I also analyse dreams and spin plates," Elosha joked and Laura joined in. She was a nice woman.

_Blood. Lots of blood. Pain. Endless pain._

"I hope you don't mind, but I've been having this dream about a bleeding man that feels so real, and I just can't place it." Instead of looking offended, Elosha leaned forward in her chair.

"Well, there are a few options. In any of your memories do you remember a bleeding man, or do you have any significant gaps in your memory?" Laura shook her head, there was nothing like that in her past.

"Second option is that your imagination is using your partner's book as fuel for your dreams." That seemed likely, but it didn't seem just right.

"And a third option?"

"The third option is that you are dreaming the future. If you ever find out that it's the third, come and see me."

The rest of her time in the coffee shop until Bill came to pick her up was spent in silence. The bleeding man was still in the whispers of her mind and Laura couldn't quite conjure all of it just yet. It must be Bill's book, it couldn't be the future. That was just absurd.

X

**17:57 hrs**

Lee had managed to track down Starbuck and Helo at one of Caprica's parks, helping someone he remembered from the President's offices to do sit ups. Helo gave a small wave as he came over, but Starbuck remained stone faced. She had been there at dinner last night, where he had made an ass of himself there as well.

"Hey everyone."

"Hey Captain."

"Hi."

"Hey Lee."

He stood there for a moment and was introduced to Alex, a thoroughly nice young woman who had a dream of being a Viper pilot. After a few more moments of silence, he admitted what he wanted to say.

"I went to see my father today and we had an argument. He really does love her, doesn't he?

Helo and Alex remained silent, it was Starbuck that spoke. "He does Lee, he really does."

"Good. Because I want to do something and I really need your help with it."

They didn't think to ask Lee what he wanted them to do, anything was better than sitting in the sweltering heat of the park watching Alex run laps and do push ups. But when they got to the Government Building in Caprica City, Starbuck took Lee aside and asked him.

"I need to go through some of the President's files. When I was over at my Dads, I saw that Roslin had some bruising on her face. I think he did it, and I think he's done other stuff as well. I don't know why, I just…"

"When I walked in on the two of them in his office, he looked like he was ready to murder me. He's not a nice guy," Alex offered, and Helo nodded. The four of them stood resolute and decided to break into the government building using Alex's security clearance.

Thirty minutes later, they hadn't found anything, in fact all they had found was that Adar liked to delegate a lot of his workload, and one of the secretary's was squirreling off money into a private account. Finally, Lee had found a copy of the President's phone logs that had been kept by a very compulsive filer.

"Nothing much, Adar made a call to a Colonel Limas a while back, but that's it."

Starbuck grabbed the sheet of paper that Lee was looking at and cursed. "Limas was the Colonel that arrested me and Helo a while back. The date of the call was the day before he did. Shit."

"What does that mean?" Alex asked, shaking slightly from the memory of the fight. She hoped she never got into another one like it.

"It means that it's likely that Adar orchestrated our arrest. Frakker doesn't talk to Colonels, only Admirals."

"But you guys got off!"

"Yeah, we got off. But two weeks after that the Old Man and Roslin aren't dating and she's engaged to the President. Coincidence?" Starbuck asked.

"Can you even spell that?"

Starbuck smacked Helo, but the look on Lee's face stopped her from continuing.

"Dad made a deal to save you guys, gave up Roslin. Frak! C'mon, lets see what else we can find."

They searched through the files for another hour, but came up with nothing. Tired, and wanting to talk to his father about everything, Lee decided to pack it in. If anything, their little jaunt into the files had proved that Adar was a nasty piece of work.

"Wait, lets have a quick look in his office."

Alex led the way to the President's office. Helo was shuffling his feet, Lee concentrating on what was going on and Starbuck playing with her phone taking pictures of random things. Opening up the office door, all four were met with the sight of President Richard Adar having sex with his pretty blonde assistant on top of his desk. Starbuck took a quick picture, and seeing the flash, Adar stopped. Alex quickly shut the door and the four made a beeline for the exit.

Outside, Alex sobbed. "Why do I always walk in on him when he's doing that?"

X

Laura and Bill strolled up the garden path, hand in hand, neither of them saying anything but catching the odd glance at the other. Bill put the key in the lock and let them both in. Inside the door, they still didn't say anything, but instead of slipping off his own jacket, he pulled Laura's off her shoulders and her into a kiss. His mouth moved in parallel to hers, his fingers caressing her cheek delicately.

"I missed you today."

"I was gone for like half an hour while you were with the mechanic."

"Still missed you."

He kissed her again, this time with more force and passion. Both were left gasping for breath before they laughed and headed upstairs. When they got to the top of the stairs, Laura unbuttoned Bill's shirt and slid the material off of his shoulders. She traced his chest and kissed her way down to his trousers before unbuckling them and letting them fall to the floor.

Bill brought Laura up to his face and kissed her again. He unbuttoned her own shirt slowly teasing the skin underneath with his nimble fingers. When both their shirts had fallen to the floor, Bill reached around to hook Laura's skirt down from the back, leaving them both in their underwear.

He picked Laura up, her underestimation in his strength being her undoing. Bill planted her on the bed and gazed over the woman he called his, wearing a purple brassiere and a matching thong. Licking his lips, he teased her nipples through the fabric and brought them out into hardened peaks. Kissing his way down her stomach, he nipped at the edges of her underwear. As Laura moaned into one of the pillows, Bill stroked her through her underwear. Taking them off, he put them aside and spread her legs so he could gain access to her clit. Using his fingers first, he drew short circles around it before hard strokes. Laura felt her arousal building, and it only took a few strokes of Bill's tongue over her most sensitive area for her to come undone.

Laura pulled herself up off of the bed sheets and smiled as she kissed Bill lazily. Her hand was teasing his hardened cock through his boxers, and from the ragged breathing in her ear, she knew he was close. He encircled her wrist with hers and pressed her down to the bed.

Kicking off his underwear, Bill entered her slowly, relishing in the feeling of her wetness around his cock. Thrusting into her, the sounds of Laura moaning against him drove him wild. Slipping a finger between where their bodies joined, he flicked Laura's clit a few times. Being highly sensitised from their last encounter, Laura slipped over the edge into another orgasm and as her muscles contracted around him, he too came.

Rolling onto the clean bed sheets, Bill looked at Laura and gave a lazy smile and a laugh. She moved over to rest her head on his shoulder, sighing in happiness.

X

They had been walking down the street, happy to get away with their break in when it happened. Alex and Helo had been debating the finer points of raptor flying outside a shop window while Kara and Lee had been working along.

"I should have listened to my father."

"Yes you should have Lee. He's a good man."

Lee laughed at a bouncy Kara Thrace, but stopped short when she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "That was for growing a pair Lee Adama. Trust your father, he knows what he's doing."

"Lieutenant Thrace? Lieutenant Agathon?" It was a Colonial Fleet officer with two others who had walked up to them. Alex froze instantly; it was like some creepy déjà vu. Helo placed a protective arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah?" Always the attitude with Kara.

"We're here to arrest you and bring you to the Barracks."

"Those charges were dropped," Kara announced, she hadn't done anything illegal of recent nature. She didn't think so anyway.

"New charges of assaulting the President, Lieutenant. No laughing matter."

"When I am supposed to have 'assaulted the President'?"

"This morning, around 09:40 hrs. If you will come with us?"

He could not be serious, but the look on his face was completely so. The officers made a motion to Kara and Helo but Lee stepped between them.

"Move away Captain."

"Make me."

Kara moved to him, not wanting him to get into whatever game Adar was playing. "Don't do this Lee, go to your Dad and tell him what's going on."

She and Helo left with the officers and Alex and Lee watched them be escorted off. "C'mon, we need to go get my father and tell him what's going on."

X

**21:48 hrs**

Laura had been joined by Ellen and Saul soon after Bill had gone out to get food. The two of them had had some 'pleasant' conversation, but soon enough Laura was missing the sound of Bill's voice. Dialling his mobile phone number, she pressed his home phone to her ear in anticipation of hearing the gravely voice she adored.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey handsome, it's me."

_"Laura, now's not really a good time."_

"Oh, that's fine. Just wanted to let you know that Saul and Ellen have dropped over. Figured you may want to get some extra food, but probably some extra alcohol too."

_"Don't worry, I will. Laura, you know I love you right."_

"Yes, of course I do," Laura smiled, giving a little wave to the gossipy Tigh's on the sofa in the living room.

_"Good, because I love you so much. Do you love me?"_

"You should never need to ask that. I love you more than anything, anyone I have ever met. Bill is everything okay?"

_"I hope so."_

"Bill, what do you-" A loud bang on the other end of the phone caused Laura to jump out of her skin. It was so loud that even Ellen and Tigh could hear it. Trembling, Laura picked up the phone and held it to her ear. "Bill, what was that? Bill, Bill can you hear me? BILL!"

X

Bill Adama sat in the gutter of Caprica City, his clothes stained and blood trickling out onto his chest. He could feel the pain of it all, the bullets that had tore through his body and broken it as well. There was white-hot pain ripping through his body as he tried to move and grasp the edge of the pavement to anchor himself.

As he groaned in frustration, his thoughts turned to Laura. The ache of his chest not even coming close to the pain that he felt without her. Her beautiful smile, her hair the colour of the rising sun. If he was to die here in the cold, dark depths of a Caprica City alleyway, then he wanted his last thoughts to be of her, like they always were when he was alive and well.

"Laura!"

He clutched at the pavement, but his fingers were too covered in blood to get a good, solid grip. He groaned again, crying out in the street as he felt the life slipping away from him. He would never get to see her face again, and he wept not for himself, but for her. He loved her, and he had to get up to keep her safe. In his head, he heard her voice yelling to him.

_Get up Bill. _

_Get up!_

_Bill?_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Tigh had sat her down on the sofa and poured her a drink. He had put the phone back in its cradle before taking it immediately out again to dial for an ambulance. They didn't know where he was exactly, although Laura knew that he had been going out to get food from the little Picon place he loved.

"He's going to be okay, Laura, he really is," Ellen stated, proceeded by doing something very uncharacteristic. She placed her hand over Laura's in a comforting fashion.

She could hear his groans, hear his pleads for life over the phone and she couldn't do anything. It was like time had froze and the Gods were punishing her for everything. Punishing her for her life and for something she didn't know what. They were going to take her soon, why take him from her so quickly? There was so much she wanted to know before she went to Elysium, so much she wanted to know about him and what life they could have together.

"Please, Lords of Kobol, don't take him from me."

Tigh rested a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it, before going into the kitchen and making them all a pot of tea, another thing very uncharacteristic. Maybe Laura was imagining it all; maybe this was just another dream.

_Like the ones before? Silly Laura, not dreams. Visions._

She hadn't known it was Bill lying there; she would have stopped him going out, kept him to their bedroom (not that he would have minded) to keep him safe. But then, she thought it had been a nightmare, nothing more. A knock on the door got Ellen out of her seat, but Laura was still sitting on the sofa looking into space. They didn't know what had happened, but she had an awful feeling that she would soon find out.

"Kara and Helo have been arrested." It was Lee and Alex looking very tired. She could hear background noise, but that was it. Tigh was explaining that he was going to go to the Barracks to try and straighten out this mess. He then explained that something unknown had happened to Lee's father, and it may be a good idea to start calling hospitals. Laura turned around at the mention of Bill's name and watched Lee start to shake while Alex tried to comfort him. Laura turned around and continued to examine thin air; it was so hard for her to even think anything except that Bill was potentially out in Caprica City dying somewhere.

When Tigh had gone, and Alex was trying to sort out Lee, Laura picked up the phone and called Bill's. Maybe she was just imagining things; maybe he wasn't hurt at all, maybe she just needed to know that he was still alive or that someone was there with him. Dialling the numbers, she pressed the phone to her ear.

X

"Come on you pathetic waste of flesh, breathe!"

The pounding on Bill's chest jerked him back to the excruciating pain of being shot. Looking up, he saw a man standing over him wearing a wide brimmed hat that he didn't know. His phone started to ring by his side, and the man stepped over to answer it. Bill could hear the sirens of an ambulance, or what he hoped was an ambulance. He could also feel the cold, wet pavement and the sticky feeling of blood on his chest. A piece of shirt was pressed to his abdomen in pressure.

"Hello?" Cavil answered, wondering what he was doing here exactly and also why he was helping the Human in front of him. Well, he knew that part. Same reason why he couldn't kill Adama to sort out the President situation, being shot dead in the street might have the same effect.

_"Who is this please? Where is the man who this phone belongs to?"_

"Ah. My name is Brother Cavil, and the man whose phone this is has currently been shot. Don't worry though, I can see the ambulance winging its way to us as we speak."

_"Oh Gods, oh Gods. Can you put him on?"_

Cavil looked down at Bill Adama and saw that he had slipped out of consciousness again. Thankfully the ambulance had arrived and paramedics began filing out to treat him. Cavil took a step back and let them do their work.

"I'm afraid that's not possible at the moment, but its all good news! The paramedics have come and they're going to take him to…Thesius Hospital."

_"Could you please go with him on the ambulance? I don't want him to be alone, oh Gods Bill…"_

"Oh…okay…" Cavil didn't really know what to do, so short of turning down the tearful woman on the end of the phone, he stepped on the ambulance with the men and watched as they ripped open his shirt and examined where the two bullets had landed. It was not a very attractive sight.

_"Thank you, thank you. We'll get to the hospital as soon as we can."_

Cavil hung up the phone and switched it off before tucking it into the pocket of Adama's trousers. The paramedics had managed to stabilise him, but they wouldn't be able to do anything until they got him into emergency surgery at the Hospital.

"You're a real pain in my ass you know. Not only have I got to save you, but also I've got to let your relationship with _Madame Secretary_ continue. It's annoying, very annoying to have everything you plan for ruined because two Humans fell in love. Damn annoying," Cavil sighed and popped a mint, chewing on it as he watched the Human in front of him fight for his life. He certainly wasn't giving up, that was for sure.

Eventually they turned into the Hospital, and the paramedics rushed Adama through the front entrance to the Emergency Room. Cavil took this as a sign to leave and happily stepped off the ambulance and into the awaiting street.

X

Saul Tigh felt an unusual sense of déjà vu as he donned his Colonial Fleet uniform with Colonel pips and headed to the city Barracks to spring Helo and Starbuck out of jail. On his way there, he had got a call from Ellen, who informed him that Bill had definitely been shot. Pulling over the car, he sat there at the edge of the road in silence, a heavy feeling in his heart as he thought about his friend.

Mourning a friend who isn't dead yet is bad luck, but it also wouldn't help Kara or Helo. Turning the key in the ignition, Tigh started once again to drive to the Barracks. Parking and getting out, he headed to the front entrance and ignored any Private or any officer of lesser rank who tried to ask him what he was doing.

"My Gods, can't you people have an evening without ending up in here?" Tigh asked the two who were looking very remorseful, and also very confused.

"Okay, this one was not our fault."

"Really?"

Kara stood up from the bench where her and Helo had been sitting and looked straight at Saul Tigh. "Did you know about the deal the Old Man made to save us?"

"He vaguely mentioned it."

"Yeah well, we figured it out last night when we broke into the Government office," Helo muttered and Saul's eyes went wide before he began to mutter odd things under his breath.

"Yeah, well, this time you are facing charges of assaulting the godsdamn President, not just some Colonial officer who you got into a fight with."

"Thank you sir, we weren't aware of that."

"Don't be a smart ass. The Commander's been shot, there's going to be no cavalry call to drag your sorry asses out of here."

Tigh didn't mean to tell them like that, and he felt bad for it as he watched Starbuck's face fall and crumble in front of him. She was devastated; the Old Man was like a father to her.

"Starbuck, the Old Man is going to be okay. He's the Old Man!" Helo reassured, standing up from his own seat and resting a hand on her shoulder. She squeezed the bars tight, and Tigh rested one of his on hers.

"He'll be okay Kara. He'll be fine and you'll be fine."

"Thank you sir. Now go make sure he's okay."

Tigh gave a salute to the two officers behind bars and gave them a reassuring smile. They would be all right, the Old Man would be okay and he would sort them out of this mess. Being an XO was being an XO forever, and if Bill died he would have to be in charge of the remnants of the Galactica crew. Saul wasn't ready for that sort of responsibility yet, he wasn't ready to lose Bill either.

X

They had gone to the hospital, asked for his name and had gone to the waiting room outside the operating theatre. Apparently Bill had gone straight to emergency surgery, they hadn't waited for any approval because of the seriousness of the injuries. Laura didn't remember much of getting to the waiting room except that Ellen Tigh had grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her along.

Now she sat with a cup of lukewarm and disgusting coffee while she tried to not think about how cruel the Gods were.

"He's going to be okay," Ellen Tigh announced, settling back in her seat and taking in the redhead next to her.

"I hope you're right."

The door of the waiting room opened, and in piled Lee and Alex who had been finding Doc Cottle. Laura stood up and was immediately hugged by Lee. He held onto her close, and Laura felt herself clinging to him in panic. Neither of them wanted Bill to die, and because he loved both of them very much, they guessed that made them family.

"He's…"

"Don't say he's going to be alright, that's not very comforting."

"The Doctors know what they're doing," Lee swallowed and joined Ellen and Laura on the hard plastic seats. Alex made a motion to leave but the look on Laura's face suggested that she wanted her to stay.

"I'll go get some stuff for everyone."

By the time she came back, Laura was curled up on two chairs, her red hair falling over the sides. Ellen was drinking a glass of water while leaning against one of the walls and Lee was pacing up and down.

"Hey. I got some bottled water, some chocolate and some magazines," Alex stated and passed them around. Lee claimed a newspaper to keep his mind off things and a bottle of water. Ellen took one of the women's magazines and turned to the sex tips. The young aide went over to where Laura was laying and sat down by her head. She passed her a bar of chocolate, which Laura took as she sat up.

"When my Mom was dying, I sat in the waiting room and must have gotten through three bars of the big milk chocolate ones. My Dad kept buying them for me, guess he thought that if I sat outside reading a magazine and eating chocolate then I wouldn't be worried about what was happening."

"Did it work?"

"For a while."

Alex rested her hand atop Laura's and squeezed gently. They sat in silence for a moment, before yelling broke the waiting room mood.

"Lee!"

"Mom?"

Carolanne Adama strode through the waiting room accompanied by her fiancé, a weedy looking man with big glasses. She brought Lee into a huge hug, which he reluctantly returned, unsure of what his mother was doing there. He knew his parents had sorted things out, but he didn't know to what extent.

"What are you doing here?"

"Ellen called me, said that your father had been shot. I wanted to be there for you, Lee."

Lee shot Ellen a look as he hugged his mother again. Meanwhile, Tigh's manipulative wife joined her old friend in a consolidating hug. Laura and Alex sat on the outskirts of the waiting room, not part of the little group of Adama's and Tigh's. Seeing that they were going to be busy talking and catching up, and that Bill was in surgery, Laura decided to see if she could get some sleep. But it was more than that; she wanted to see if her mind could give her the next part of the story.

X

_Laura was in Bill's kitchen; she knew it like her own. She didn't know exactly why she was in Bill's kitchen, as she could think of several other places that she would rather be. Everything was as it had been when she had left there last night, or that morning, she was really unaware of the time. She was wearing a dress down to her mid thighs, but instead of the red one she knew she had, this one was black. She felt healthy, she felt happy. _

_She noticed that she was wearing an engagement ring, but it was different to the one Richard had given her. This ring was simple silver to match her bangle on her wrist, and it had a deep crimson jewel in the centre to match her hair. It was a perfect ring. _

_A pair of arms encircled her in a hug, and it was a protective sort of embrace. Turning around, she saw it was Bill. He was wearing his Colonial Fleet uniform, but the pips were different, they weren't Commander ones. He pulled her into a kiss and sucked on her bottom lip. But it wasn't enough; it wasn't enough to get his taste back in her mouth. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. _

_"Its time to go Laura."_

_Then there was a blinding flash of light outside the window and everything was gone._

"Bill!"

Laura sat straight up in her chair, shaking from her dream or vision or whatever she wanted to call it. Alex was by her side, pressing a cool hand to her forehead. She felt hot all over, and yet she was shivering at what she had seen.

"Are you okay Laura?" Saul was here now, and his hands were on her shoulders. She gave a slow nod, and turned to the waiting room. Lee had returned to pacing, and Carolanne, Ellen and her fiancé were turned towards her, staring at her like she was some sort of a bug. Thankfully, one of the surgeons came through the door of the waiting room before Laura could ask them what their problem was.

"The surgery went very well, we managed to remove both the bullets from Mr Adama. However, he still hasn't woken up but we're not seeing this as a bad sign just yet."

"Can we see him?" piped up Carolanne, and Laura felt a sudden coldness growing in her stomach. Lee and most likely his mother would be the first to see him, then Saul and Ellen. Family, then friends. What was Laura classed as? Lover? Sort of girlfriend? She didn't know, and that hurt her.

"'We'? There is no 'we', Carolanne, you're not seeing him," Saul shot back, standing up.

"I'm his wife."

"Ex wife," replied both Saul and Carolanne's fiancé, whose name Laura believed to be Steven but she wasn't sure.

"I'm still part of his life."

"Like hell!"

"Saul, please be quiet. She obviously cares deeply for him."

Saul looked like he was going to snap that line of thought in half, but a look from Ellen stopped him dead. Lee had halted pacing by this point, and had turned around to negotiate the argument. "Arguing isn't helping Dad, okay? We'll see him when he's ready, right?"

The surgeon nodded, and Laura decided to leave the waiting room and go for a walk. Resting a hand on Alex's arm, she left the waiting room. She got half way down the corridor when an arm shot out and grabbed her. The figure pulled her down a corridor, and Laura tried to fight until the figure stopped and smacked her round the back of the head.

"That frakking hurts!"

It was Cottle. She sighed at the sight of him, here was someone familiar that she knew. From the untidy lab coat to the cigarette tucked behind his ear, Laura knew Cottle; there was no hidden agenda.

"What are you doing?"

"I heard them all arguing, and I guessed that the former Mrs Adama wouldn't be happy to see Bill's new girl got to go se him. So I thought we could sneak through the back and you could go see him now while its quiet and private."

Laura nodded and gave Cottle a hug. "Thank you Doc."

"No problem. Lets just do this so I can go out for a smoke, I need a cigarette and there aren't any damn smoking rooms."

X

_Bill wasn't in any pain, which must be why things felt strange to him. The only memories of his recently had lots of pain. But he was in his childhood kitchen, something else that bothered him. He hadn't been here for a very long time, not since he and his father had moved after his mother's death._

_And there was his father, sitting at the kitchen table and drinking a hot cup of coffee. He looked younger than when he had died, he looked more like the man that Bill had known when he was a child, when he was growing up. Around the time of his mother and sister's passing. _

_"Sit down Bill, we need to talk."_

_Bill was wearing his Colonial Fleet uniform, the Commander pips still as shiny as ever. He sat down opposite his father and watched as his Dad poured him a drink._

_"That Laura is pretty sweet stuff."_

_"Thank you."_

_Bill took a sip of his coffee and watched his father. They had never done this, they had never gotten along. Joseph Adama had never approved of his son joining the Colonial Fleet to fight in the Cylon war, and they had stopped talking apart from civility after that. _

_"She needs you, they all need you."_

_"I know."_

_"No, you don't. You don't know what's to come Bill, and you can't be ready for it. But for what's ahead you will need Laura, Bill. You'll need Lee, you'll need Kara and Karl and Alex and Boomer and Saul and all of them. And they will need you."_

_"I understand. At least I think I do."_

_Joseph smiled as he watched his son. Although he loathed admitting it, his son had grown into a fine young man. Resting his hand on Bill's arm he patted it and went back to his coffee. _

_"Go to her Bill, she needs you now."_

_"Thanks Dad."_

_Bill was still very confused about the situation, especially as his father was dead and he was still standing in his old kitchen. His words of wisdom were not doing much to help his state of mind either. _

_"Oh Bill?"_

_He turned around, still concerned and even more so as things were starting to go white. _

_"I'm proud of you."_

X

Laura opened the door to Bill's room and took a deep breath as she saw him hooked up to all those machines to keep him alive. He looked so pale, and his chest was still bare apart from the obvious bandaged wounds. Sitting in the chair next to him, Laura ran a hand down his arm and took his hand between hers. Tears fell from her eyes and down her face, but she did nothing to stop them. She needed to cry; she needed something to make her feel alive except for the numbness she felt all over.

"You got through the surgery. The Doctors seem positive, but then they could be lying."

"Lee's here. And Saul, and Alex." Laura said brightly, before remembering whom else was in the waiting room. "And Ellen and Carolanne, so maybe you should stay in that coma or whatever until they get bored and leave."

There was no response from Bill, nor did she expect there to be. Laura just sat there, and although her smile was plastered all over her face it was fake and the tears just kept coming.

"Starbuck and Helo are in trouble again, apparently they assaulted the President. Must be some hell of a right hook if you…if you…oh Bill. I can't do this. I can't sit here and pretend that everything's okay because its not."

Laura tightened her grip on Bill's fingers, wanting to hold onto him for as long as she could. "I hate myself some times for what happened with Richard, and I know he's not going to let me go but I'll have to figure out something. I can't lose you, I can't not be with you Bill."

"I've thought I was in love before, but I've never felt this way about anybody else Bill. That's the truth, that's what every cell in me wants to scream to the world."

Laura leaned over him and kissed him lightly on the cheek, the tears from her eyes dripping onto his face. "I love you Bill, I love you more than anything. I can't live without you; I can't contemplate ever spending one more day without you. Gods I love you so much."

She turned to leave the hospital room, her heart breaking as she walked, when her ears picked up a change in Bill's heart monitor. Turning around, she rushed over to him. She could feel the pressure of his chest underneath her fingertips, the once weak beat of his heart now strong. She would do things differently this time; she would do anything to be with Bill, anything to be happy again like she was when she was with him.

He groaned, a sign of life no matter how painful it was. Laura's heart skipped a beat as she watched Bill open his eyes. She saw him try to smile when he saw her, but she smiled enough for the both of them.

"Laura…" he croaked, but Laura didn't answer him. She was too busy pressing her lips to his in joy.

Bill was going to be okay, and so was she.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_"We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office."_

_- Aesop_

She was careful not to pull anything out; she didn't want to be the reason why something that was supposed to save Bill's life ended up with him dying because she was kissing him. Laura kept running her fingers over his lips and his eyelids to really prove to herself that he was awake and he was going to be okay.

"How do you feel?" Laura asked him, leaning her head against his, but not applying too much pressure. He was still weak.

"Like someone decided to shoot me," Bill said hoarsely, trying to get the words out. He was so happy to see her; he thought he was going to never see her again.

"Gods Bill I love you."

"I love you too. Think you can get me out of here, I don't like laying down so much."

"Don't worry, I'll give you something nice to think about."

She returned to kissing him lightly on the mouth, her tongue trailing the outline of his lips. Laura could hear the heart monitor that Bill was hooked up to, and she could feel it increasing. Smirking to herself she pulled back until she found Bill's hand in her hair bringing her closer.

"Can I help you?"

Turning around, Laura came face to face with a doctor who was wondering who the woman was and why she was making out with a patient who had been in a coma ten minutes earlier. Laura stood straight from Bill's bed, while the doctor checked all of Bill's vitals before leaving with a stern glance. Thinking that they could be alone some more, Laura knelt down by Bill's bedside to talk to him again. However, loud voices interrupted them and the door was jerked open and in piled most of the people who had been in the waiting room.

Saul smirked at the sight of Laura, and Ellen's face fell. Bill watched as Lee rushed over to his bedside on the other side of Laura, and Alex looked very uncomfortable as if she didn't think it was her place to be there. Bill also saw that Carolanne was with them.

"Carolanne?" Bill croaked, very confused as to why his ex wife was there. Lee was unlikely to have called her, so the only person that would have done was Ellen. Manipulative bitch that just arrives out of nowhere. _Or possibly not nowhere_, Bill thought to himself.

"Oh my Gods, look at you Bill. What are you doing here?" The question was directed at Laura, and the offending party stood up and crossed her arms over herself.

"I wanted to see Bill."

"Don't you think we all wanted to? Did you just sneak off? How disrespectful of that to his _real _family."

"_Real_ Family?"

"This is not helping matters!" Lee yelled from his father's side, wondering just what his mother's game was. As the two women argued, Bill struggled to speak to calm the situation and his heartbeat rose.

Doc Cottle, who chose that moment to enter and saw what was happening, yelled for quiet. Moving over to the bedside, he checked Bill's vitals, which were steadily returning to normal. He and Laura helped Bill prop himself up on his pillows so he could speak to his variety of relatives.

"Carolanne, we have been divorced for a hell of a long time, so I don't know why you…why you come barging in here and start yelling at Laura, who _is_ part of _my_ family." To further secure the point, he wrapped his fingers around Laura's and looked at her with so much love in his eyes.

Cottle, seeing that the group wouldn't get anything else comprehensible from the former Commander, shuffled the group bar Tigh and Laura out of the door so Bill could get some rest. Turning to the couple and Tigh, Cottle shook his head and removed another cigarette from his packet before heading to the door himself.

"You guys make my head hurt."

X

"You saved him. Are you going to give us a reason why Cavil?"

The other Cylons were looking at him and D'Anna, but Cavil didn't think he had an answer straight off the bat. He could explain why he saved him; he saved him to protect the baby, which was necessary in the grand scheme of things. But why had he been there in the first place? Why had he ridden with Adama to the hospital?

"I was following Adama, I was planning on having a little 'chat' with the former Commander about things."

"Adar tried to bribe him with those two pilots, and failed. What made you think you stood a chance where he failed?" D'Anna asked. Of all the other Cylons, she was the worst. She liked to poke and prod and challenge his authority whatever they decided to do. Sometimes she was more annoying than the damn Humans.

"Well first off, I'm a machine. Second, I wasn't going to threaten the pilot's lives. I was going to kill them."

Even D'Anna had to agree that that was certainly a step up from Adar's original plan. They were sitting in one of the apartments that they 'rented' (the owner of this particular building who had charged them for rent was now currently in some form of ditch), and it was much more comfortable than standing on the top of a windy building.

"I think we're just going to have to concede that the Commander and the fiancée's relationship is going to go ahead for now, but I have a plan in place. Six, you will continue to work with Baltar and his cure. Leoben, continue to look after the baby. D'Anna, please keep helping Adar's competitor. If by some 'miracle' he makes it into office we'll need all the leverage we can."

The other Cylons drifted away to continue on with their own tasks, and Cavil sat in the apartment by himself drinking coffee. He had answered all his questions, except why he had ridden with Adama in the ambulance. Taking another swallow of his coffee and letting it swill in his mouth before swallowing, Cavil came up with no answer. The woman on the other end of the phone had caught him off guard; maybe she had persuaded him into doing it? Or perhaps he just wanted to make sure Adama was all right so they could continue on with the next phase of their plan. Or maybe he was becoming a bit human.

"Frak that. I'm going to go find someone to kill."

X

Carolanne leant against one of the hospital walls, for she wanted support and to be alone. She got neither, for Ellen soon sidled up to her. She gave her old friend a hug and a very sympathetic that came off pitiful look.

"I know I said that I was here just for Lee, but Ellen, I think I still love Bill."

Ellen feigned a look of shock on her face, she had known probably before Carolanne even did that there was still something going on, and to be honest Ellen preferred her to be Bill's partner then Laura Roslin. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing I can do. Me and Steven should go, call me Ellen, okay?" And with that, Carolanne departed from sight with her fiancé in tow.

Meanwhile, inside the hospital room, Tigh had told Bill what had been going on so he could deal with their troublesome pilots.

"Call Admiral Nagala and give him my name. Tell him he owes me one favour, tell him that I'm using it to keep my pilots permanently out of hack unless they actually do something illegal," Bill ordered, and Tigh left the hospital room and the couple to themselves.

Sighing to himself, Bill looked at the beautiful woman next to him. He would do it all again, get shot included, just to see her look so calm by his bedside. Running his fingers through her hair, he stroked the spot behind her ear and she moaned.

"Shouldn't do that while you're in a hospital room. I won't be accountable for my actions."

"Too bad."

Laura looked up from where she was resting her head and smiled wildly at him before placing another kiss on his lips. Then, realising that his body was telling him to go back to sleep, Bill listened to it just so long as he knew that Laura would be there when he woke up. They both slept clutching each other's hands.

X

It had taken Bill a week to recover, and although the Doctors wanted him in longer he wouldn't allow it and had taken himself out of the hospital. Laura was driving him home, and Saul was coming over later, thankfully without Ellen, for a couple of beers. They made it to the house in one piece, and Bill leant on Laura as she helped him up the path. Putting her own key in the lock, Laura let them in.

It was still the same place as it once was, although Bill felt different since he had been shot. He felt calmer, more collect. He felt that he could see things clearly now, more than he could before. They travelled up the stairs together, and Laura helped Bill onto the bed. He groaned at the pain he felt, his wounds were still a little raw.

Rolling her eyes, Laura started unbuttoning his shirt. Suddenly, Bill clutched her hands and stopped her from moving any further.

"Don't unless you plan to go somewhere with it."

Laura smirked and leant into kiss Bill. His eyes closed as he felt her mouth pressed against his, and revelled in her taste. She slipped her tongue into his mouth to tangle with his own, and it drove him crazy with need for her.

"Doctors said we couldn't."

"Frak Doctors, we'll just have to be careful."

Bill moved over to lie against the pillows and he enjoyed watching Laura undress him, even if he felt a bit like an invalid. He growled at the back of his throat as she kissed the scars that were forming on his chest, but they were butterfly kisses so they felt pleasurable rather than anything else.

Laura straddled his hips, and started to unbutton her own shirt very slowly. When the last button was undone, she slid the fabric down her shoulders achingly slow too, but the sight was worth it. Bill was enjoying watching the show, especially as she traced a path with her fingers from her collarbone to her breasts and ran her fingers around the brassiere. Unclasping it, she took that off as well, leaving the top half of her bare. Her hand moved again, this time down her stomach and further. However, just as Bill was getting aroused with anticipation, her hands changed course and they pulled down her trousers.

Smiling at his reaction, she slipped her underwear down her legs and crawled on top of Bill, settling herself down on him gently. They moved together slowly, not wanting to hurt him. They came quietly and in each other's arms, and Bill chuckled against Laura's ear as she kissed his neck before they fell asleep.

X

Everyone had assembled in Bill's living room to discuss the situation. Bill was lying back in his chair; Laura perched on the arm of it. Lee and Starbuck were sitting on the sofa; Helo and Alex had claimed floor space. Ellen and Saul Tigh had taken two chairs from the kitchen and had moved into the living room.

"So. What do we know about Richard Adar? Starbuck, you start." Bill was the Commander in Chief, he led the discussion.

"Well, what we know is that he wants Secretary Roslin and he's willing to do anything to get her. He blackmailed you to give her up and save our sorry asses. He's also not above lying; he lied and said we attacked him when you broke his jaw."

Bill nodded, and Helo continued on the discussion.

"When we broke into the government headquarters to see about the Captain's idea on getting dirt on Adar, we found conclusive proof that he had called the Colonel that had set us up. That wasn't all we found though."

Alex groaned and buried her head in her hands at the image. "He was screwing his other assistant on the desk."

Laura stood up on that and turned away from the group. Bill turned with her and laid a comforting hand on her arm. She just couldn't believe it, she had guessed that Richard had probably been frakking his assistant, after all when the mistress becomes the wife someone has to fill the vacancy. But for a moment, even if it was just for a moment, Laura had thought that Richard had loved her. But that moment was gone, and all her feelings for Richard were ash. Returning to the group, she sat in her rightful place at Bill's side.

"We know he's not above domestic abuse and shouting matches," Laura stated grudgingly, and felt Bill's lips on her hand in comfort. The bruises were getting fainter every day, but it would still be a while before they would fade from her mind.

The group tried to think what else they knew that Richard Adar was capable of, but Bill was the one to speak first. "He's also capable of murder."

"How do you know that?" Laura asked.

"Because he was the one who shot me."

X

_Bill walked down the street; mentally counting how much money he had on him to pay for dinner. He was planning to get a takeaway, bring it home and then spend the rest of the night working it off with Laura. He didn't remember the last time he was this happy, he was sure it had been years ago in Space. Maybe even longer. Adar was behind them, and all he could see was their future, however short or long it may be._

_"Adama."_

_He turned around to see Richard Adar standing in the middle of the street. There were no bodyguards around, no press, just him and Bill. He placed both hands over his chest in a threatening motion. He did not like this man, and Bill was glad to see that his face was a multitude of different colours. Good. Maybe that will teach him not to hit women._

_"You think you're a big hot shot, don't you Adama? Stealing Laura away from me."_

_"I didn't steal her Adar. I loved her, and that's all she needed, all she wanted. All that you never gave her."_

_Bill turned his back on him, not wanting this conversation and wanting to return to Laura as soon as he possibly could. But as he did so, he heard the familiar click of a safety being removed. Going back to Adar, he could see the idiot had pulled a gun on him._

_"Don't do this Adar."_

_"You threatened to shoot me if I ever went to Laura again. Thought I'd get there first, considering I'm going to go back to her."_

_It was then that his phone started to ring. Bill tilted his head in defiance and pulled out his phone. Opening it up and smiling at Adar, he answered it._

_"Hello?"_

"Hey handsome, it's me."

_"Laura, now's not really a good time." He watched Adar's face start to change as he realised that it was Laura on the other end of the phone. He had the speaker up loud enough so that Adar could hear what she was saying. From the way Adar's hand started to shake, Bill realised that Laura had never spoken to him with affection in the same way she was doing with Bill. _

"Oh, that's fine. Just wanted to let you know that Saul and Ellen have dropped over. Figured you may want to get some extra food, but probably some extra alcohol too."

_"Don't worry, I will. Laura, you know I love you right." He was just baiting him now, but Bill needed Adar to realise that what he was doing was stupid, considering that Laura would never return to him. _

"Yes, of course I do."

_"Good, because I love you so much. Do you love me?" Adar's hand was really wavering now, and he moved a couple of steps forward so he could take the gun from the President. He didn't look like a professional. Gods know where he had got it. _

"You should never need to ask that. I love you more than anything, anyone I have ever met. Bill is everything okay?"

_"I hope so." As Bill had moved forward to Adar, his hand had steadied, and he was pointing the gun directly at Bill's chest. _

"Bill, what do you-" _He didn't hear anything after that as he had fallen to the ground. Adar that rat bastard had put a round on his chest. He could hear Laura screaming from the phone as he lay in the gutter. Adar stood over him and fired another bullet into him, and then he walked away. _That wasn't his first time_, Bill thought, before he began to lose consciousness. _

X

There were loud choruses as everyone turned to Bill in dismay. No one had asked him about his shooting; they were all waiting for him to talk about. Most people had assumed that a mugger, not the President, had shot him.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Laura asked beside him as a tear escaped her. Gods this was one frakked up situation.

"Because after what he did to you, and what he did to me and what he did to us and my pilots, its time for some payback."

Everyone looked around at the word 'payback'. Bill Adama had a plan. Using Laura as a crutch, Bill stood up to survey the room and his friends.

"Richard Adar is running for re-election. We have a good amount of information to bring him down: blackmail, domestic abuse, adultery _again_ and attempted murder. It doesn't matter if we prove any of it, what matters is that the public hate him enough not to vote him in. Then he loses everything, he loses power over us."

There was quiet around the room, but in everyone's faces they could see that it was a good idea.

"The only problem is that Adar has a spy. Ellen, how much did he pay you to return?" Saul turned around to his wife on Bill's words and she rolled her eyes before stating the exact amount. That was a lot of cash.

"Ellen, if you agree to tell Adar what I say, I'll buy all your alcohol for a year."

"That's a lot of alcohol, Bill."

"I call it a worthwhile investment."

She already had the money from Adar, and if they were taking him down then he couldn't do anything to her when she betrayed him. And with Bill buying all her alcohol, Ellen was very happy.

"Deal."

Bill nodded. "Good. Alex and Lee, I want you to use your positions in the government building to make Adar's campaign on rocky ground. I also want you to get any dirt you can on him, the more the better."

"Starbuck, Helo. I want you two to stay put on the Barracks, I may need you and Admiral Nagala wants you training his recruits. I think we can put together a plan that will ruin Richard Adar."

There was cheering from the four younger adults in the room, but the Tigh's were very quiet. The betrayal wasn't going to help _their_ relationship. Laura hugged Bill, so happy that things were falling into place.

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier? It's a brilliant plan if we can pull it off," Laura whispered in his ear, kissing his cheek.

"I didn't tell you because I need to ask you something that I don't want to. Something that will probably kill me more than the bullets did."

Laura released Bill from her embrace and turned to him. The look in his eyes made her realise exactly what she had to do. For the plan to work, for Adar to let his guard down so they could destroy him, she needed to go back to him.

"I'll ask Lee to be more at the house, he won't lay a finger on you. I don't want to ask you to do this, I want you to be safe and I want you to never see that bastard again. But we've got to nail him. And to do that…"

"He has to trust me."

"Yes," Bill choked, and Laura kissed his fears away, making a note to deal with her own later.

X

She didn't know why she was staring at the sky, but it just seemed like the right thing to do. Alex sat up and fingered the small item between her fingers; it was her father's wings. He had given them to her when he was diagnosed; he said that he wouldn't need them anymore. As a kid she had always been fascinated by them, and used to tell all the other children at school that her father had wings.

"You okay?"

It was Billy, still dressed in his suit and tie. He hadn't been present at the meeting; Laura hadn't been sure whether he would have agreed on what they were doing. Alex was in all the way, she had nothing much to lose anymore.

"I'm fine. At least I think I am."

"Better than nothing."

Billy sat beside her and wrapped his arm around her. She sighed against him, she always felt at peace when she was with him.

"Hey, you know that assistant that replaced you, Ellie?"

"Yeah, what about her?"

"Well I heard from some of the other staff that she's been declared missing, her parents tried to call her but no luck. There's no trace of her, she's just vanished."

The last time that she had seen Ellie the blonde assistant, her skirt had been hoisted to her waist and Richard Adar was engaging in some overtime work with her. Alex shook her head; it was an image she definitely wanted out of her head, and quickly. Billy hadn't been there that night that they had broken into the building. In fact, she had been spending so much time on her dream of being a pilot and training with Starbuck and Helo that she felt she had completely forgotten about Billy.

"Billy, I love you. You know that right?"

"Yeah, I know. And I love you too." He kissed her then, gently, as was Billy's way. Afterwards they went out to dinner, and Alex put the wings back in her pocket where they belonged, at least for the moment.

X

"To family. Sometimes it's the craziest thing in the world and you wish to distance yourself from it as quickly as you can. Other times, you're grateful of the moments, grateful of the time you spend together. To family."

"To family!"

Lee put down his glass after his toast and smiled. All around the table where his friends and family enjoying a last dinner together before their little plan began, and before the storm started brewing. He and Paula were sitting on one side of the table, next to Alex and Billy. His fiancée was smiling and enjoying herself, although she felt a little out of place. However, all Lee could think about was the feel of Starbuck's lips against his cheek. He thought he was over her, maybe not.

Alex and Billy were having a pleasant conversation, and over the past two days had been busy getting reacquainted with each other and their relationship. Billy had gone to dinner with her and her father, and they were planning a week's break together to visit all his family on Picon. She rested her hand on Billy's under the table and took a sip of her wine. It felt nice to be here, with family, even if she felt more comfortable being a friend of Adama's then of Laura's. Her wings were back in her drawer at home, and she had decided to pack in flying for now. Billy was more important to her.

"I still remember the time that we met up with those pilots from the Orion, and Starbuck challenged their top gun to a game of strip triad, the loser having to fly CAP in nothing but their underwear…"

"Helo!"

Helo and Starbuck, although not a couple, were sitting at the table together and were observing the others. Ellen and Tigh were subdued, Billy and Alex were quiet but pleasant and Lee and Paula were overcompensating. Starbuck kept looking at Lee to see if he was looking at her, and on two occasions she caught his eye. Helo, on the other hand, was watching Alex. She had told them about her decision to stop flying, and he wasn't so sure. Once you get into space, it's hard to get out again. Taking a swig of his beer, he continued his story and brought the entire table to laughter.

Saul and Ellen Tigh, usually the boisterous couple at any gathering, were quiet as temple mice. Not that they knew what temple mice probably sounded like considering that neither of them had probably been in a temple since they were married, and that was only at the insistence of Ellen's father. He was pissed at her betrayal, even if she had agreed to help them. She was pissed at his loyalty to Bill, and for the fact that Bill had chosen Laura Roslin AKA schoolteacher and President's slutty fiancé over Ellen's fellow drinking buddy Carolanne. They would move past it, eventually and drunkenly.

Laura and Bill were sitting at the head of the table in his house and were enjoying Helo's stories, Lee's toasts and Alex's friendly attempts in the conversation. Underneath the table and underneath their smirks, Laura's hand was buried against Bill's and resting on his thigh. They were enjoying tonight, and for once Laura could see an end in sight for the Adar debacle. They had been going through things blindly for the past few months, not realising how determined Richard would be. But now he would be taken down. It was not about how bad a President was, or that they didn't want him to be re-elected, it was about revenge pure and simple. The only thing he seemed to care more about than Laura was the Presidency, and he was about to lose both.

"How about we get these people out of here quickly and I take you upstairs and show you a few things I learnt from my piloting days," Bill winked as he whispered in Laura's ear, and she smirked. Gods how she loved that man. She kissed him then, light but lovely as they had company.

Rolling his eyes at his father and his love, Lee continued on the conversation. Laura and Bill didn't notice, they were too busy gazing at each other.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Bill Adama had surprised her that morning by his suggestion to go shopping. It had been a week since he had come home from the hospital, and in that time Laura had not gone into work, but had stayed at home with him. She had read what he had so far with his book, but he was still lacking an ending. He had watched her sketch some of the plants in his garden, they were very good.

So shopping was completely out of the blue. But Laura dressed and got ready and her and Bill was out the door by nine o'clock. She was draped around him as they walked down the street, a feeling that she definitely enjoyed.

"Bill, why are we going shopping?"

"You need a new wardrobe. The elections are coming up, and to impress Adar you need some new things."

Not the glamorous shopping trip she had in mind then, the thought of going back to Richard made her skin crawl. Still, they travelled to one of the most expensive department stores in the city, and Bill gave her his credit card.

"Go crazy, but only get the best stuff for me." He winked and kissed her on the nose. Bill went out to go grab something to eat, trying to be the Commander rather than her lover. She watched him go and felt sadness well up inside her: the elections couldn't come soon enough.

Laura headed to the more conservative part of the store to get her 'Adar' wardrobe. Pencil skirts and blouses in neutral colours, black dresses that came to the knee. Classy stuff, with an edge of sexy. Her lingerie was basic black and white, she didn't want anything fancy.

With that done with, and the promise to pay Bill back with some sort of money (maybe she could trick Adar into paying off her credit card debt…), she headed to the more expensive areas of the store to get things that only Bill would ever see her in. After picking up a few items, she tracked down Bill who was standing outside holding two cups of coffee and a doughnut. He was trying to eat his doughnut while balancing the two cups and ended up getting jam and sugar on his top lip.

"Let me get that for you."

She licked the sweet food off of his face with the edge of her tongue and then placed her mouth directly on his. "Come with me," she whispered in his ear when she broke the kiss and dragged him to the corner of the shop where the changing rooms were. Making sure there were no shop assistants around, Laura grabbed Bill by the collar and dragged him into the stall with her.

Burying her hands in his hair, she couldn't get enough of his taste. Laura groaned as the kiss got fiercer, and Bill pushed her up against the mirror with such force that she thought they had broken it. Pushing him away for a moment, Laura explained what they were doing in there. "I needed some help trying on a few things."

_(Sorry, rest is MA. Head over to 'Survival Instinct Adama Roslin site to read the rest if you want.)_

X

Filing. That was all her life consisted of now. But it was very important filing at that, it was for the President of the Twelve Colonies. Alex Charlton didn't know whether it was because she was a genuinely good assistant, or because the last assistant Richard Adar had had gone missing, but Alex had remained at the Government building against all odds. Especially considering her reemployment after her first firing was because Adar's at the time but not currently however soon to be again fiancée Laura Roslin had insisted upon it.

She was going stir crazy. It hadn't been that long since she had been up in space, but she missed the thrill and the excitement of it. Alex had decided to be planet side to be with Billy and her father, but frak she missed being out in the big empty. She also missed all the friends she had acquired from her dream of being in space, and she knew that they still would be her friends at the end of the day, but things just didn't seem right.

"Mr President, sir, they're about to announce the other candidate for the Presidency soon."

"Thank you Ms Charlton, you can pack up and go home if you'd like."

She nodded and left, she wasn't going to be around that crazy attempted murdering son of a bitch. Especially considering that he didn't like her very much. She went to Billy's desk to say goodbye and that she would see him later. They had a quick kiss before she left the building. Outside, with her feet on solid ground, she felt empty and heavy at the same time, like gravity was weighing her down too much.

Getting out her phone, she dialled a number, talked for a bit before heading to the city Barracks.

"Knew you wouldn't be able to keep away."

Helo was a sweet guy, not as sweet as Billy because he had that dangerous side to him. He definitely reminded Alex of her father when he was younger, so like an older brother really. He had agreed to take her out in his lunch break and teach her how to fly a raptor. She knew that Bill and Lee Adama were trained to fly both, and there was always something relaxing about flying in a raptor. It reminded her of her childhood.

"You're doing great Alex, you're doing great. You've got flying in that blood of yours, I tell you!"

Alex smiled over at Helo and adjusted the controls. Flying was like an addiction; she couldn't get enough of it. Now she could see why her father had always stopped her from flying, he didn't want her to get hooked like him.

X

Laura was walking down one of the streets in Caprica City, her body humming from her encounter with Bill earlier that day. She felt like a character in an old detective movie, the woman in love with the detective and obsessed over by the villain. If she had still been a teacher, then none of this would have happened. Laura sighed to herself, some days that might be nice. But then again, maybe she wouldn't have met Bill Adama at all, and that was something worth hanging on to.

She wasn't needed until later that day, when she would confess her love to Richard Adar without gagging. Laura was glad of her fondness for Drama in her youth, being a politician meant she had retained some of those skills that would serve her well in tricking Adar into their little web of his own making. But that wasn't the only thing circling around in her mind. Her love for Bill was causing her actions to become erratic; there was no logical order in how she felt about him. Add into that the young adults she seemed to have adopted as children from being Bill's partner, and things were might confusing. Kara had taken rather a shine to her, and Boomer had invited her to her bachelorette party that night.

"Thank you for meeting me."

"No problem whatsoever."

That was another problem that Laura wanted to deal with, which was why she was here and now talking with the priestess Elosha in an out of the way coffee shop. Before Adar had shot Bill, she had been dreaming about a bloodied man in the gutter of Caprica City. And then, in the hospital, she had a dream about Bill and her in his house and they were going somewhere. She knew it was a dream and yet it wasn't at the same time.

"When we met the last time, you said that if my dream was the third option, then I should come back and talk to you."

"I take it that it was?"

"My partner Bill was shot soon after we spoke."

Elosha nodded and brought out one of the scrolls from her bag. "I considered that that may be why you had tracked me down and asked me to come. Tell me, have you noticed a changing in the wind?"

Laura had just thought it was something to do with her Cancer or because of her relationship with Bill. But something had switched, something was different now. You could taste it, like when a storm was coming and you could tell that the weather was about to change even if it was bright sunshine.

"I see that you have. There is a change in the wind, and I believe that you are one of the few people who can see it, see the future. Don't think me crazy Laura; your visions are already examples. You know the election coming up?"

Too well. "Yes."

"In Pythia, it speaks of the coming of a leader. "_And the Lords anointed a leader to guide the caravan of the heavens to their new homeland. And unto the leader, they gave a vision of serpents, numbering two and ten, as a sign of things to come." _A change in the wind, a new leader perhaps, things are stirring. If you have any more visions, please don't be afraid to call. At the moment the visions relate to just you, so there is no need to be alarmed for now."

Well didn't that just fill her with confidence?

X

Bill was sitting in his garden on his garden furniture, glasses perched on the edge of his nose and looking at the typewriter in front of him. This part of the story wasn't working, it just wasn't. The hero and his girl had made love, had secured the love of each other but there was still the villain in the background and he hadn't been put to justice. Bill didn't want to make the characters two dimensional, that wouldn't work as a story. He had read characters that seemed too good to be true or just flat and they never excited him.

"Hey, you listening to the election broadcast?" Saul asked, bringing his friend a glass of juice from the kitchen. They had agreed to meet up at home so Saul could flick through his sports magazine and Bill could continue to write his book.

"Not yet. Switch the wireless on."

Saul flicked the switch and sat in the sunshine watching his friend. He could tell when he was having trouble moving, and today was one of those times.

"You pulled something?"

"Must have done something when I was out with Laura this morning."

"Right."

Saul smirked at his friend and watched as Bill moved stiffly. Yeah, pulled something, or more like someone. He may have to have a word with his friend about his sex life; after all, there was a reason why his subordinates called him the 'old man'.

Meanwhile, in one of the main café's that Caprica City offered, Laura was having lunch with Boomer and Kara and discussing the upcoming wedding. It had already been decided that Bill would take on the role of father of the bride, while it seemed that Laura had been chosen as defacto mother of the bride. She didn't mind, she hadn't got any children of her own so it was nice to feel like she was part of something.

"And remember, I know it's untraditional but it's the bachelorette party tonight. You're coming right?" Sharon asked, and Laura nodded. She would have preferred to spend the night in with Bill, but she couldn't say no to Sharon Valerii.

"Hey that's the election broadcast, turn it up!" shouted one man from the corner of the room, and Laura watched as the owner of the café turned up the radio so the whole place could hear it.

"_Well, we're getting the information now about who has been chosen to stand against President Adar in the upcoming election. You may have thought about it, but I never would have guessed it. Standing in opposition to President Adar…is Tom Zarek."_

Outside the Mayor's office in Caprica City, Tom Zarek ascended to the stage and waved the crowd. He had worked hard on getting paroled from prison, and then getting involved in local government. His ideas and reputation had moved him up the ranks quickly, and Tom felt like he actually stood with a chance.

"Thank you Brent, thank you. I wanted to tell all the electorate today how proud I am to be standing for President, and I wanted to tell all the electorate today how hard I am going to work for them. And most importantly, I wanted to tell all the electorate that I, Tom Zarek, am a man you can trust. After all, all my dirty laundry's already out!" Tom joked, and waved to the mass crowds that had assembled in front of him. Some looked like they were ready to throttle him; others looked like they would kill anyone who would try.

Just what he wanted.

X

She couldn't get out of the café fast enough; she had to talk to Bill immediately. Sharon left with the promise of seeing them later, and Kara had offered her a lift to Bills. She hadn't waited for even Kara's beaten up jeep to stop; Laura jumped out of the side door and hurried up the path way to Bills.

He had been expecting her; he was sitting on his doorstep with his head in his hands and with a worried expression playing on his features. He looked up at her for a brief moment before walking to her and holding her.

"Let's do this inside."

He waved Kara off as they closed the door behind them, needing privacy for what they wanted to discuss. Inside the house, Bill took a seat in one of his armchairs, but Laura remained stubbornly standing.

"We can't do it. Not with Zarek running against him."

"We have to."

"We CAN'T Bill, Zarek is a frakking terrorist. I hate Adar with everything in me, but I love the Colonies and they don't deserve him as a President."

Bill stepped away from his chair and held Laura gently against his chest. Kissing the top of her head, he murmured reassuring words to her, but they didn't stick.

"It doesn't matter about Zarek, the public will still decide. But we have to show them the truth about Adar, and then it will be up to the citizens of the Twelve Colonies to choose between an attempted murderer and a terrorist."

"I know…I know."

"Laura, look at me. We will never be free of him until he's out of power. The lesser of two evils…" Bill trailed off before he stopped talking. Looking down at Laura, he kissed her gently on her lips. "Talking about Adar, you better go and see him."

She nodded and grasped hold of his chest, holding on for dear life. It took everything in Bill to let him go, and as he watched her leave his chest felt like it was ripped open.

X

Richard Adar was trying to get a grip of the situation when things became even more unhinged. Into his office stepped Laura Roslin who he had not seen for two weeks, not since she had walked out on him and fled to Adama. Then there was Adama's shooting, which he had stubbornly survived. It would have been easier for Adar to get a contract out now on Bill's head, for trying to kill a man twice would just be sloppy. But a contract meant a paper trail, and that was the last thing that Adar wanted.

She looked good, very good in fact. Her hair was a little bit longer, not by too much. Maybe because it was styled differently was the reason he was seeing it in a new light. She was wearing a knee length pencil skirt that showed off her legs, as did the heels she was wearing. Laura was also wearing a cream blouse to match her brown skirt. She looked beautiful.

"Laura?"

"Hello Richard."

"I thought I'd never see you again, I thought you were with Adama." The bruises were gone from her face. He had honestly expected her resignation over the last few days, given to him by a smug looking Bill Adama carrying a large pistol and a fresh wedding ring, but here she was.

"Bill was shot the day after I last saw you. I went with him to the hospital, I held his hand. But although…although I know that he loved me, his heart always belonged to someone else."

"Who?" Richard was genuinely interested now; obviously trying to kill Adama had proved of some benefit after all.

"Carolanne, his first wife and the mother of his boys. The way he looked at her when she came into the hospital room…I knew things weren't meant to be."

Richard felt himself nodding and walking over to Laura. He stood close to her, but she took a step back.

"I wanted to see if we could do this Richard, but we're doing things my way. After what you did…you hit me and said those things about me…I tried to tell myself that you cared but I'm not sure anymore."

"Laura, I love you."

"I think I know that, so I decided to give you another shot. But there are rules to this. Three nights a week I stay at my own home, you don't come there whatsoever. Three nights a week I stay at your place, and the last night of the week I stay with family just outside Caprica City. Richard we need to start over, right from the beginning. We've had an affair for twenty years, but we've never had a relationship. Can you do that?"

Richard swallowed but he nodded all the same. He could do that; he could do anything for one more chance with Laura by his side. He kissed her cheek and held her hands, so glad of what was happening. Just the sight of her in front of him made the afternoon's debacle with Zarek wash away.

She was trying hard not to throw up, and Bill's name was running through her head like a mantra, along with the image of him holding her first thing in the morning with day light streaming in. It was the only thing stopping her from screaming.

X

It had to be a bar, and it had to be in one of the seedier parts of Caprica City. Boomer was enjoying being the centre of attention, especially as it was required that all the women invited dress up as nymphs with wings and glitter. Guests included Sharon of course, Kara, Racetrack, Dee, Cally and several of the other Galactica crew. Also present was several of Sharon's other friends, Laura and Alex who was fast on her way to becoming part of the pilot pack.

"Okay, here are three for you. The Old Man, President Adar and Colonel Tigh!" Sharon exclaimed to the group, and the other women burst out laughing. Kara and Alex shot a look to Roslin before taking a gulp of their respective beverages.

"C'mon Laura, who would you do?" The game was whom you would marry, whom you would sleep with and whom you would kill. Laura knew that some of the group had recognised her originally from being the President's fiancée, and that was still the official story until the election or she died, whichever one came first. Although most of the pilots present knew she had a thing for Bill, she didn't want to say anything in public.

"Marry the President." Several choruses of 'aw' and vomiting sounds. "Sleep with the Old Man and kill Colonel Tigh." Or rather his wife, Ellen was very annoying.

"Sleep with the Old Man, seriously?"

"Oh yeah. There's something ruggedly handsome about Commander Adama, his cool collected nature but then there's also that pilot charm underneath. And his voice? Panty peeler." Laura announced to the hushed silences of the bachelorette party before taking another shot to the resounding giggles Maybe she had had too much to drink.

That became even more apparent to Laura over the course of the evening when she had sung karaoke, announced to everyone at the table that Kara Agathon and Karl Thrace were an item (Starbuck was also too drunk to disagree with her) and also danced with Racetrack on the dance floor.

Outside the bar, Laura stumbled in her ridiculously high heels and nymph wings as she tried to navigate her way to a taxi so she could get home and sleep it off. However, that was easier said than done as she tripped in the heels. Before she could fall flat on her face, a kind stranger had managed to catch her.

This kind stranger was quite handsome, quite warm and he smelled rather good too. But all of that made Laura miss Bill more, so she decided to find him first. Thanking the kind stranger with a kiss on the cheek, Laura continued to stumble until she managed to find her way into a taxi.

Back outside the bar, Tom Zarek was rubbing the place where the woman had kissed him. She was certainly beautiful, and her hair was the richest red he had ever seen. Smiling, he watched as the little nymph wandered into the night and he found himself thinking about how he would track her down in the morning.

Across the city, Bill Adama was frankly not enjoying his time at the Chief's bachelor party. Helo and Jammer had planned it, which meant that they were at a strip club. The women were perfectly attractive, and were certainly happy with their work, but Bill couldn't help associate the redhead (almost certainly dyed) in front of him gyrating against a pole with Laura Roslin.

"Enjoying yourself Bill?"

"Never been happier Saul," Bill replied, chinking their glasses together. Bill mused that Saul must feel happy in one of these clubs; in fact the last time that Bill had been in one it had been when Saul had met Ellen. Maybe that's why Bill loathed them so much.

Lee, Helo and several of the other male pilots were whooping in front of one woman, and Kelly, Gaeta, Tyrol, Jammer and Figurski were also enjoying the show. Bill took one look at all of them admiring the female form in front of them, and Bill realised that he could actually properly enjoy the female form at home. Laura would either be at hers or his tonight, and it wouldn't take him long to find out which. After saying goodbye to the Chief, Bill decided to head home and find Laura and enjoy himself that way.

X

When Bill arrived home, he had expected to find Laura curled up on the sofa watching television. It was only when he had tripped over a pair of high heels sprawled over the welcome mat did Bill remember that Laura had been invited to Sharon's bachelorette party.

Following the trail of clothing, Bill found Laura on his kitchen table. He gasped as he watched her, the moonlight streaming into the room. Her long legs were on full view, and she kept swinging them so he could see all of them. He followed them up to find her encased in a pair of purple silk knickers. His eyes continued on their journey and found she was leaning back, giving him an ample view of her chest in a matching brassiere and her red hair bouncing on her shoulders. She was also wearing a pair of nymph wings and glitter all over her face.

"You're home early."

She giggled and he realised that she was half drunk; she had sobered up a little but not too much. Bill wanted to see her completely like that, completely free, but he guessed he would have to wait for another time to see that.

"Come here."

He walked over to her and kissed her, his tongue in her mouth instantly. She looked so delectable just sitting there, and he prayed to any Gods that would listen that she would stay that way. He felt her unbutton his shirt, and Bill was glad to help her. Pulling the material off of his torso, Bill flung it to the floor and engulfed her mouth with his. He could taste the ambrosia on her tongue, and that aroused him further.

She pulled down his trousers and he kicked them off, the muscles that had ached from this morning miraculously feeling fine. Bill hooked his fingers around Laura's knickers and pulled them off. The moonlight was the only light in the room, and it created a surreal effect. Pushing into her, Bill nearly collapsed from the pleasure. She was so wet already, his imagination was racing with thoughts about what she was doing before he had got home.

"Laura!"

Their exploits that morning meant that Bill couldn't last as long as he would have liked, but it was enough to let go. Pulling out of her, Bill chuckled against the counter at how he felt. He felt glorious. Looking over to see if Laura felt the same, he noticed that she had fallen asleep on the kitchen worktop. Picking her up, he carried her to their bed and tucked her underneath the covers. Bill kissed her head before falling into bed himself.


	14. Chapter 14

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, they make my day!

**Chapter 14**

Laura woke up in her own bed, with no one there beside her thankfully. For too long she had been without someone beside her, but now Richard was constantly there. With Bill it felt nice, but it was too short, the hours ticking away too fast before she had to leave again. Like all their time together, both in the short term and the long term. Time was moving too fast and she just wanted to slow it down.

The sunlight was streaming in, but it was dull and lifeless, there were no bright rays to wake her up. The weather was becoming dull as they slowly slipped into autumn, but there was still the haziness of the last of the summer to come.

_Her last summer._

She got out of bed and looked at herself in the mirror, her once glorious skin now pasty and pale. She had prided herself on cream skin that didn't need make up, but now she looked gaunt. On her bedside were several pots of pills, none of them helping her whatsoever; in fact they were making things worse. The red ones gave her headaches; the blue ones made her feel sick. She couldn't eat; she only ate when there were other people around which was dinnertime when she stayed with Richard three days a week, lunchtime when Billy made her eat something and all day when she was with Bill.

She had told Richard that she would stay with family on Sundays. Bill was her family on the outskirts of Caprica City, it meant that she could have a day to be herself and with the man she adored. But the last Sunday things had been strained, she had gotten weaker. She didn't want to tell Bill, didn't want to see the hollow loss start to appear in his face. Laura had seen that enough when she had looked in the mirror when taking care of her mother.

Going to the wardrobe, Laura decided what to wear for that morning. The trousers seemed too casual, the dress too formal, the skirt cut too close to her legs. Sighing, she went downstairs to make herself a cup of tea with an extra shot of Chamalla.

"Great." Laura dissolved the last tablet in her tea when she realised she would need to get some more. Although the taste was bitter, she felt better when she was taking Chamalla.

Suddenly a coughing fit attacked Laura's chest, and the motions racked through her entire body. When she removed her hand from her mouth, Laura could see blood on her skin. It had begun; the beginning of the end. And she was terrified.

X

"And you have a meeting with President Adar and Mr Zarek in half an hour; you'll be fulfilling your role as…" Laura didn't hear the rest of what Billy was saying to her, she was staring out the window. Outside, she could see normal people milling around having perfectly happy lives.

There were the teenagers out shopping, some smoking in the alleyways next to shops and others fussing over the new posters of the Caprican Buccaneers just out. There was the sport fanatics who jogged to music and had a water bottle attached to some body part. Then there were the couples outside enjoying the summer sun. She caught sight of a brunette on the arm of a particularly handsome male. All they were doing was staring into the eyes of the other, just perfectly content in their own universe. Laura found herself unspeakably jealous of them both.

"Isn't it interesting that no matter how far we've come, we all go back to the beginning in the end?" Laura mused to Billy, who simply nodded. He had no idea what she was referring to implicitly, but he knew the feeling.

"Half an hour Madam Secretary."

She had chosen to wear the trousers, even though the material made her legs sweat. She sat on the large windowsill, watching the figures outside the building go about their daily lives. Billy came into her office and handed her a bottle of water and a sandwich pack, but he didn't say anything. Laura ate a couple of bites but threw the rest away; she wanted to concentrate on these people. She imagined their lives, their hopes and their fears and the sort of thing that she would do if she were in their position.

"It's time."

Billy hadn't told her exactly what role she was going to be fulfilling by attending this meeting, or rather she hadn't listened. Laura had two roles now; she represented the Education Department but also was the President's official fiancée even if their relationship was still in its early stages.

Going into Adar's office, she could see that Richard had done some redecorating. Laura tried to avoid it as much as possible; she didn't like the ghosts that lived there. Tom Zarek was sitting in the chair in front of the main desk, and Laura gave him the once over. He was handsome, very much unlike Richard who only had charisma on his side. Zarek was also charming, he had managed to woo and win a good percentage of the electorate to his position already.

Standing up, a look of confusion washed over Zarek's face, but Laura merely ignored it and shook his hand. "Laura Roslin, Secretary of Education."

Richard made a noise from his corner of the office, and Laura realised that she had been playing the wrong role. She had supposed to be the dutiful fiancée who used their love of twenty years to overcome everything, even Cancer. In reality, Laura loathed Richard more than life itself and her face was so caked in make up to make her look respectable that she felt like a painted doll.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ms Roslin, although we have already met."

"We have?"

"Yes, I believe you were at the Carlyle Club with some friends a couple of weeks ago."

Boomer's bachelorette party. All Laura remembered from that is a lot of ambrosia, a lot of giggling and her and Bill on the kitchen worktop. Oh, there was a man who had helped her from tripping on her high heels. Oh Gods…that had been Zarek. And now he was smirking like the man had won the damn lottery…

"Shall we get down to business?" Adar hissed from his seat, and Laura turned to him and the business at hand. Turns out Zarek had some information on some of the schools in Caprica that had failed inspections but hadn't been reprimanded, and rather than use that in his campaign, he wanted to make sure that the current administration was aware of it. After all, as Zarek said, "everything else is fair game but the kids."

Richard Adar watched his fiancée interact with Tom Zarek and was worried. Zarek was eloquent, and he seemed to charm Laura instantly. What had she been doing at the Carlyle Club, and who were these friends of hers? Adar realised he didn't know all about Laura's life like he thought he had, but that didn't make him upset. It made him angry.

X

It was her day off, and Alex was glad of the break. She had decided to go shopping for some new clothes; she needed a new outfit for Boomer's wedding in a few days. Walking down Caprica City, she caught sight of a missing poster on a lamppost. Normally Alex walked straight by them, but this one caught her eye. It was for Ellie, the ridiculously blonde and large chested assistant that she had initially been replaced by. She was still missing.

"Hey Helo, it's me. Could you meet me at Berrill's Beanery?" Alex had a feeling, a feeling she didn't like and was worried about. So she agreed to meet Helo at a coffee place where she knew the owner. He was a good guy, and was a big fan of the Colonial Fleet and liked to give them discounts. As a child of an officer, the same applied to Alex.

"Hey Hemera, what's up?" Helo asked, claiming a seat opposite his friend. She wasn't in her usual office wear today, so he concluded that it must be her day off. Maybe she wanted another flying lesson? It would soon come to it when she would be ready to enter the Colonial Fleet and pass quickly into officer status.

"Hemera? What's that?"

Helo chuckled before replying. "We all decided that you needed a call sign, so when we got together this morning we all decided on Hemera. She's the goddess of daylight and the sun, and every time you fly, Alex, there's good weather. So: Hemera."

Alex blushed before thanking Helo.

"So what's the problem?"

"Ellie, one of Adar's assistants, she's still missing. I wondered if you would be able to help me see if we could track her down."

Helo nodded and smiled. "Of course. I'll grab Starbuck and we'll be on our way. I would get Apollo but he's off babysitting Hera."

Alex's phone started to ring and she gave him a confused look. While she was fumbling with the keys, Helo explained that it was the codename that the pilots had come up with. The Old Man was Zeus, so that made Laura Roslin Hera. Ignore the whole sibling marriage thing and there it was.

"Hello?"

_Hey it's me Billy. What are you up to?"_

"Talking with Helo about Sharon's wedding."

"_Helo? The pilot?"_

"Yeah."

The sounds on the other end of the phone made it obvious that Billy wasn't too happy with his girlfriend spending time with Helo. Alex wasn't entirely sure why, she loved Billy and she knew that Helo was still crazy for Boomer. But it didn't matter at the moment, because Starbuck was already at the window of the coffee shop.

"I've got to go Billy, but I promise I will fill you in on everything later. I love you."

And she meant it. Hemera left with Helo and Starbuck to track down the missing assistant, and she really hoped that her gut was wrong.

X

Laura hadn't been there in a long time, and the summer chill had been replaced by an icy wind. She knelt down by her family's graves, wishing for two Adama arms to be around her now. Her mother's grave, killed by the Cancer that was now trying to eat its way out of her daughter. Her fathers and her sisters graves, killed by something as inconsequential as a car crash.

"Hi everyone." She traced the lettering on her mother's gravestone. She hadn't been by in a while; she didn't want to hear what her mother had to say about her choices.

"Well I'm dying, but I guess you already knew that. There's a part of me that wishes it would come soon, the part of me that wants this whole Adar situation to be over and done with, the part of me that wants to see you all again."

"But then there's that part of me that wants the time to be with Bill. You haven't met Bill, he's…he's amazing. There's something so comforting about him, but underneath there's steel and…and I love him."

The wind picked up and circled Laura, lifting some strands of red hair about in the air. She smiled, believing it to be her family talking to her.

"I know…the first time that little Laura falls in love is right before she dies. Guess the Gods have a funny sense of humour."

The wind had picked up, and it stung Laura's cheeks as the tears fell. Gods she wished Bill was here, but she had to do this by herself.

"Last of the family, huh? No one left…" Laura hummed to herself, her mascara running down her cheeks.

"Not even close." Laura looked up to see the wrong Adama, but he would work. Lee handed her a tissue, and she saw that Billy was in the car behind him in the gravel path. She had skipped out on her afternoon, and her aide must have worked out where she had gone. Lee placed an arm around her and held her close, comforting her in his father's place. Billy also joined her side, and she sat with the two boys as they kept her company by her family's graves.

"Thank you, you two," Laura replied as they walked her back to the car. Lee shook his head and got into the drivers seat. Billy just smiled at his boss and gave her hand a quick squeeze. Maybe things weren't as bad as she thought; maybe she could get through this in one piece. But then the icy wind picked up again, and chilled her skin right down to her bones.

X

Wedding Ceremonies usually last over three days, and Galen Tyrol and Sharon Valerii's wedding was certainly not an exception. The day before the wedding usually consisted of a giant feast being held at the father of the bride's house with a great deal of offerings to the Gods. However, as Saul Tigh plainly put it: "Skip the ceremony, lets just get wasted."

So in Bill Adam's back garden (serving as father of the bride), Galen and Sharon's guests were dancing and joking and singing and drinking in happiness. There was a great deal of joy in Bill's heart as he watched his crew and his friends celebrate something happy for once, he had felt that things in his life were turning a dark corner. He hadn't heard from Laura in a few days, and when he had seen Lee open the door to her, Bill could see how pale she was looking. He wondered if he had done anything, or if it was the stupid revenge plan that was driving her away.

"To Boomer and the Chief!" a toast went around, and Bill happily lifted his glass. Sighing, he felt he should make the rounds. It seemed like he had a few problems to sort out, not just in his own love life.

Alex and Billy were dancing on the patio, and although Alex was enjoying herself, Billy was holding her rather stiffly.

"He gave you a call sign."

"They all gave me a call sign Billy! Listen to me, nothing is going on between me and Karl Agathon!" Alex sighed and kissed Billy lightly on the lips. She knew he had every right to be jealous, but flying was something she loved, and Billy needed to get accustomed to that. She didn't want to have to choose between him and her wings, because she knew she would choose him over anything, and she would end up hating him for it.

Near to them, Lee Adama was trying hard not to kill Ellen Tigh. She was sitting next to him, with her hand placed too close to his crotch for his liking.

"You know Lee, you are a very handsome man…"

"…Sorry Ellen got to check in with Paula." Lee couldn't let her go down that path; it would only end in heartache for her and a headache for him. Paula was feeling sick, so she couldn't make it to the feast or the wedding tomorrow. Lee was going home to see her tonight after the party and coming back tomorrow morning.

Running as far as he could from Ellen, Lee decided to go upstairs and into the loft where his dad kept most of his books and his winter study. But when he went up there, there was already someone in there. Kara.

"Hey Lee."

"Hey Kara."

He joined her by the window as they watched the celebrations below. They could easily pick out the Tighs, the pilots and Laura Roslin. They watched as she downed another shot with Saul Tigh, oblivious to being watched by his father in the corner.

"She was at her family's graves today."

"This whole Adar thing has got her screwed up. They were fine before she went back to him on this whole revenge set up, and now they won't even look at each other."

"Yeah."

Lee looked at Kara and watched as a lone tear fell down her face. She didn't cry, and he felt voyeuristic watching her do so.

"It feels like we're all living on borrowed time Lee, and I don't like it. What if all we have is like Roslin, we find what we want only to lose it as soon as we get it? What if all we have is a lifetime of wasted moments among a few beautiful ones?"

Lee rested his hand atop of Kara's and gave her a weak smile. "Then those are the moments we strive for Kara."

Down in the garden, Laura polished off her most recent shot as Tigh looked on appreciatively. Bill managed to gather his confidence and take the seat next to Laura. She looked as him as she did so, and her breath caught in her throat. Gods she needed him and yet she couldn't take him.

"Laura, can we talk?"

"Not right now Bill." Laura gripped his hand in her own as she stood up and left. The look between them spoke of heartache and wasted moments.

X

Wedding day, and the girls had been up since the early hours. Having stolen the top floor of Bill's house, they got to work on preparing Sharon for her big day. They placed her in her white dress with her small veil, and Racetrack and Starbuck had great delight in dancing with the bride to be in their bridesmaid dresses.

In the corner of the room, Laura was dressing two of the small girls who were going to throw flowers. Alex was there too, making sure that the boys (especially Tyrol) were downstairs where they belonged.

"So how are things going with you and Adama? Last time I saw you two you couldn't keep your hands off of each other," Alex stated, trying to extend the skirt of her dress to cover more of her legs.

Laura blushed, remembering some of the recent events that had happened between her and Bill. They couldn't keep away from each other, like teenagers experiencing the first flushes of love.

"I love Bill but I just can't…small boxes Alex, small boxes." Laura tried to struggle through with things, the words getting stuck in her throat as she said them.

"Maybe you could work something out. He loves you, he really does and he wants to be with you."

"Yeah, well things are getting worse and he doesn't need to see that. If you'll excuse me."

Laura stood up and went to the bathroom, leaving the rest of the women to watch her. Starbuck exchanged glances with Alex before they went back to helping Sharon with her dress.

On the stairs, Bill had heard everything. He had gone up to check on how Sharon was doing, being 'father of the bride', and had heard what Laura had said. He didn't go to her; he knew his presence wouldn't have been welcome. So instead he went back downstairs to check on how Tyrol was getting on.

"Things okay Bill?"

"Yeah, they're fine."

Helo was joshing with a couple of the other pilots in the corner, and Bill watched as Billy observed him. The former Commander decided that that was probably the best place to sit. Smiling at Laura's aide, he watched as the men in the room started to persuade Tyrol out of marrying Sharon.

"He's a good pilot, Helo. Right?"

"He is and a good man too."

"Okay."

They sat in companionable silence, neither of them wanting to ask the other the questions they so wanted. For Billy, was Helo the type to steal another man's woman? Was he interested in Alex at all? For Bill, was Adar sticking to Laura's rules? Was Laura even okay? But before either of them could ask, it was time for the ceremony.

"Do you accept this woman as your own?" asked the priest, and Galen Tyrol nodded in front of all. Around him, their guests beamed.

"Do you accept this man as your husband?" Sharon couldn't contain her excitement as she replied in the affirmative. Everything had been building to this.

"Mr Adama, if you may?"

Bill stepped forward to perform his role in the ceremony. He took Sharon's hand and presented her to Tyrol. "In front of witnesses, I give this girl to you for the production of healthy children, and a happy life together."

He smiled as he watched two of the former soldiers under his command embrace in a kiss, and cheering followed them all around. Tyrol and Sharon walked down the pathway of the circular guests to take their place at the head of the feast table, Sharon showing off her ring to Helo, who tried to keep up his smile.

At dinner, Laura and Bill had sat on Sharon's side, while Ellen and Tigh had sat on Tyrol's side, acting as his parents effectively. Most of the guests had eaten and were now fully enjoying the open bar in the corner of the garden and the dance floor. Bill was suddenly happy for his large garden. Sharon and Galen had joined their friends in their first dance as husband and wife, which left Bill and Laura alone at the table.

"I heard what you said to Alex this morning."

"Bill, my cancer is getting worse. I can't let you go through that, and when I thought I could I was being selfish. I've been through it, its not pleasant."

"You're still here."

Laura smiled at his response before tears began to fall. Bill slipped his hand into hers and stroked it with his thumb. She leant her head against his shoulder, using him for support. Bill kissed the top of her head, letting the moment sink in with him.

X

It was barely dawn on the third day of the wedding celebrations, but Laura was sitting on the grass in Bill's garden. The whole wedding party was moving to the Barracks for something, but no one was up yet but her.

"Breakfast?"

Maybe not.

"I'm not hungry."

Bill sat down next to her, a cup of coffee and two slices of toast in her hand. The smell of peanut butter overwhelmed her, and she found herself stealing a slice of Bill's toast while his view was otherwise occupied by looking at the rising sun. When he returned to his toast, he found half of one slice in the mouth of the pretty woman beside him. She smirked at his glare and continued to eat the food. Gods she loved peanut butter.

"You stole my toast."

"You hate peanut butter. Logic tells me that you made it for me."

Bill laughed, he had. The warmth of the sun could be felt on her skin now, and just the whole scene relaxed her. She smiled at Bill and realised that he was only wearing boxers and a t-shirt. Well, she was wearing short pyjamas with no sleeves and no legs to boot, so she guessed they were even.

"I'm trying to compact it, but it's not working. I come from seeing Richard, to kissing him and then suddenly I'm supposed to be in love with you."

"Supposed to be?"

"I didn't mean that. I just mean that it's hard to separate things when everything's getting jumbled up in my head and I don't know what to do with it all."

"Tell me about it."

So she did. She told Bill about how things were progressing with her Cancer, how things were going with Richard. How much she loved Bill (causing his neck to go red in embarrassment). Zarek and his flirting. Visiting her parents and feeling grief all over again. Not eating, feeling depressed, all of it.

Bill laughed at her, and she felt like slapping him. He kissed her cheek and stoked her face as he gave her a weak smile.

"Laura, I love you. I haven't given up on us, or you, or anything and I'm certainly not going to. You will get through this."

"You're in denial."

"No. I'm just an optimistic son of a bitch."

She giggled at his response, and Laura felt as if things were going at a slower pace, a pace that she could keep up with.

"Why aren't you in bed asleep?"

"I can't sleep without you next to me. Why do you think I've got so much of my book done?"

She kissed him then, lightly on his mouth with their lips overlapping each other's. She tasted like peanut butter and he tasted like freshly brewed coffee. Laura's eyes fluttered closed as Bill deepened the kiss, holding onto the tenderness for all it was worth. When they broke apart, they didn't move very far.

"Good morning."

"Good morning Bill. Make me some more toast?" Laura smirked, and Bill helped her up and into the kitchen where they had breakfast together.

X

The newly wedded bride and groom joined all their guests at the city barracks. Nobody knew exactly why they were all there, especially not Tyrol or Boomer. The barracks were mostly empty; the soldiers had gone for some training somewhere else in the city. It was only when they got to the outdoors arena where officer graduation took place and saw Lee Adama standing at the podium did they know something was going on.

"If everyone could take their seats? Galen and Sharon, all of us here from the Galactica pilots and of course a few others and me wanted to do something extra special to celebrate your wedding. Of course they voted for me to do the toast."

There were several wolf whistles in the crowd and a few jostles but they let Lee continue.

"I haven't known you guys very long at all, but you've made me one of you and I feel very happy at that. So the words I speak aren't mine, but a friend of ours. She told me once that we're all living on borrowed time. She wanted to know if when we find what we want we lose it as soon as we get it. What if all we have is a lifetime of wasted moments among a few beautiful ones?"

The couples in the crowd started looking deeply into their partner's eyes, and Laura couldn't help but glance at Bill next to her.

"I thought about this, and its true that we waste so long looking for the one we're supposed to be with. So when we find that person, all the moments after that should be beautiful, should be fulfilling. Should mean something, because then none of the rest of it is wasted."

"So we, the pilots, want to salute the Chief and Boomer, and hope that all their moments afterwards are beautiful. Now onto the actual salute."

Suddenly, two vipers zipped overhead, and Boomer watched as another ten joined them in a perfect display. Two of the vipers blew out red exhaust fumes and made a heart in the sky. Boomer swooned at the sight and kissed her new husband, both of them exclaiming in joy. Lee watched and thought he spotted Starbuck in one of the Vipers. Wasted moments indeed.

Laura and Bill had not seen any of the display. Lee's words had sunk in, and Laura had found Bills soft lips on hers in a gentle kiss that she returned eagerly. When they broke apart, Bill and Laura were staring into each other's eyes.

"Laura…" She turned to Bill and watched as he slowly removed the wedding band that he had been keeping on his finger. Opening her hand up, he placed the ring inside and closed her fingers over the top of it.

"It was my wedding ring to Carolanne, but it means more to me than that. It was a symbol of love of the service over my family, a sign that I thought more of that then of them. I want you to have it, keep it. It's my heart Laura, and I want you to have my heart like you have everything else."

The merest of touches on their lips, but it felt like fire in both of them. That was love, all of it wasted and all of it beautiful.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Bill Adama found he couldn't sleep. He lay underneath his duvet and stared at the ceiling, the blissful rest he needed not coming to him whatsoever. Looking at the clock beside his bed, he saw that the time was only one o'clock in the morning. If he didn't get to sleep soon, then he would be cranky all the next day.

Going downstairs to get a glass of water didn't help matters. The cold kitchen floor underneath his feet ripped any dregs of sleep from him. Growling at the refrigerator, Bill slammed it shut and sipped his drink. He was tired, but he just couldn't sleep. Reading would only wake his mind up, and talking to Laura wouldn't help things either. Sighing, he went back upstairs to see whether his mind would just switch off.

Laura Roslin was having the exact same problem across the city. She tossed and turned; sweat making her nightclothes stick to her in awkward places. Groaning, Laura sat up in bed and looked at the clock. One thirty in the morning, not nearly early enough to be considered time to be getting up. There was no breeze in the air to cool her skin, nothing.

Going downstairs, Laura went to the kitchen to pour herself a cup of weak tea. Taking a slow sip, she felt her eyes slowly close, until a splash of hot tea on her wrist woke her right up. Cursing, Laura tipped the rest of the tea down the sink and headed to her sofa. Lying down on the soft material, Laura pulled the blanket on top of her and tried to get some rest.

X

Laura had finally managed to daze into something remotely resembling sleep when a knock on the door woke her up. She had been thinking about Bill, Bill and water, and Bill and a swimming pool in a luxurious resort with only her and him. It was something nice to think about.

Turning to the antique clock on the mantelpiece, it said that it was just after two twenty. Who would dare call at two twenty in the morning? Getting one of the pokers from the fire, Laura headed to the door to answer it. One look out the peephole made her throw away the poker and open the door.

On her doorstep was one Bill Adama. His hair was sticking up at random angles, and he was wearing a healthy amount of stubble. All he was actually wearing was tanks and a pair of boxer shorts, and his feet was stuffed into trainers. His robe and a pillow were slung over his arm, and Laura could see his car parked just outside her house.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"No," he grumbled on the doorstep.

Bill stepped through her doorway and held her close to him. They rocked together on the doorway, the feel of coming home apparent to both of them. With a quick kiss on his cheek, Laura picked up her robe from the living room and they both headed up the stairs, Bill supporting Laura. They went into her bedroom, and Laura took her usual side, and Bill kicked off his shoes and laid down on his side of the bed.

They both laid in the dark for minutes, still neither of them getting off to sleep. Bill grumbled and shifted himself closer to Laura.

"Come here."

He pulled Laura to him so her head rested on his chest, and his arm was stroking her hip. Bill breathed in her scent, the delicious smell that was uniquely Laura and he felt himself drifting off to sleep. He was making small circles on Laura's hip, and the musky scent of him made sleep come easy to her.

Soon they were both fast asleep, limbs tangled and encased in each other's arms.

X

"I don't trust her."

"Neither do I, but Lee wants me there."

Laura was standing in front of Bill, trying to help him with his Colonial Fleet dress uniform. He had been invited to the main ceremony of Carolanne's wedding, and thankfully not the rest of it. Laura had not been invited, which was something she was very grateful of. She was sure that if she ever saw Carolanne again she would likely hit her. There was also the fact that Ellen Tigh was going to be at the wedding, another person that Laura didn't want to run into anytime soon.

"Just…no…sorry."

"Go on," Bill prompted, flicking his fingers underneath Laura's chin so their eyes met.

"Just remember who your girl is."

"Always," Bill muttered before leaning down to capture her mouth with his. He massaged her lips, her taste more exquisite then he remembered It wasn't soon before they were both a little breathless, and Bill reluctantly moved away from Laura.

Outside, Bill gave her a quick kiss on the lips before he got into his car and drove to the hotel that Carolanne was having her wedding at. On the journey, Bill called Saul to make sure he was still coming; Saul had been threatening not to attend for a month now even though Ellen was maid of honour or some such.

"Oxymoron if I've ever heard it."

Turning into the hotel, Bill caught sight of Lee and Paula waiting for him. He waved to them as he stepped out, and joined his son and fiancée.

"How's your mother?"

"Happy, very happy actually."

"Good."

Inside, Bill found Tigh and his wife, and Saul clapped Bill on the back. Neither of them was sure exactly why they were there, but there was a free bar so it wasn't a total loss. The ceremony itself went rather well, and Bill found himself being stared at by most of Carolanne's family. He didn't care; he wanted to say 'congratulations' to his ex wife and head back to the city to see Laura. He was invited to the events tomorrow, but he had politely refused. Richard Adar was off for the week campaigning, and Laura needed to be in Caprica for treatment. They finally had a whole week to themselves where she could stay with 'family', and here he was at his ex-wife's wedding.

Bill was ordering another drink at the bar when the blushing bride came up to him. She looked good, but then she always had looked good.

"Hi Bill."

"Hello Carolanne. Congratulations."

"Thank you. Can we have a word?"

He looked around and saw that her new husband was currently engaged, so he nodded. He didn't want to be having a dust up with the new groom at his ex wife's wedding, Lee would probably have a few things to say about that, not forgetting Laura of course. However, Bill missed Ellen's little smile as they passed by, otherwise Bill might have been a bit more worried about what would happen when he talked to his ex wife.

They went upstairs to one of the guest rooms of the hotel and sat on the bed. Bill watched as Carolanne locked the door, and poured them a glass of whiskey, smiling at him the whole time.

"To Lee."

"To Lee," Bill replied, and they clinked glasses. Lee was the only thing that connected them now, and he was glad of that. The fact that Lee was now firmly between both well speaking parents was a good thing too; it meant everything could be kept civil.

"Bill…"

Her hand was on his leg, more of his upper thigh really. Bill looked down at where her hand was and swallowed. Not now, not like this. He could think of a million things they should be talking about, but this wasn't one of them.

"Bill…I think I…"

"Don't do it Carolanne. You've just been married; you don't…" his words were cut off by Carolanne's lips on his, a sweet and sincere kiss but a short one. She pulled back instantly, the worry of rejection evident in her features.

"I need to go." Bill stood up from her, his heart thudding in his chest. As he got to the door, he turned around to see Carolanne still sitting on the bed. "Carolanne, a very long time ago you were my world. You and the boys…but its been a long time and we need to move on. You're with Steven. I'm with Laura. That's the way it should be."

"The President's fiancée. What exactly are you up to Bill?" her voice was hard now, his rejection of her made it bitter.

"Moving on."

He opened the door and left, his brain not contemplating what had just happened. As he walked to the lift, he saw Ellen Tigh there. She had her arms crossed over her chest and a smirk playing on her face.

"Hey there Bill."

"Go away Ellen."

He punched the button for the lift and with a face like thunder, stepped in and left the scene.

X

Paula was trying to find her fiancé, and she eventually tracked him down to the hallway. His jacket was undone and his hair was mused from his tendency to run his fingers through it. She could hear him speaking to someone, and a quick look around the corner proved he was speaking on the phone.

"Yeah, its nice and all but it wasn't as fun as the Chief's wedding."

Obviously someone that he knew who had been there. She herself had been sick at the time, although she was glad she hadn't gone. There were only a handful of people she did know, and those were in close-knit groups already.

"Yeah, I think my Dad's on the verge of leaving. My Mom kept staring at him through the whole ceremony, like she expected him to jump up and stop it or something."

Someone who knew the Adama's very well. That certainly narrowed the list down considerably, although Paula knew in her heart already who he was talking to.

"No, my Mother does not want to get back together with my Dad. No, Starbuck, I'm not in denial thank you very much."

Starbuck. Kara Thrace, the bubbly blonde pilot that was once engaged to Zak Adama and seemed to have some past with her fiancé. She had seen the looks between them; there was history and certainly an attraction. She trusted Lee but Starbuck had her worried.

"Right I better go, Paula will be waiting. I'll see you later Kara, yeah I promise. I lo- say hi to Helo for me."

He had nearly said 'I love you'. Paula was sure of it, even though there was half of her saying that she had no idea what he was going to say. As she watched her fiancé, he collapsed back on the stairs and let out a large sigh. Slipping quietly away, Paula went to the bar and ordered a drink. Ten minutes later, Lee joined her and everything tried to be as normal as it was before.

X

There was a knock at her door, but Laura was reluctant to open it. She was curled up in her favourite armchair and was currently flicking through _Dark Day_. By her side were a large cup of tea and a stack of peanut butter covered toast. She found herself craving it of late, a side effect of the medicine, because she was _very_ sure that she was not pregnant.

Before Laura could get up to open it, there was a key in the lock and the door swung open. She craned her head to see who her visitor was, and she was surprised to see that it was Bill. Seeing her, he moved over to her quickly, kissed her forehead and sat by her feet.

"No kiss on the lips?"

"Not when you've been eating that much peanut butter."

Laura giggled and moved forward to catch Bill on the mouth. However, he moved back to look at her, avoiding her touch. Something was wrong. He was supposed to be enjoying the feast at Carolanne's wedding, and he wasn't driving back until tomorrow so they could do something that Bill had been planning. But he was here, now. What exactly had happened at that wedding?

"Bill? What's wrong?"

"Carolanne kissed me."

"That bitch…" Laura tried to stand up, but Bill caught her around the waist and brought her down to the chair.

"She kissed me for a few seconds, she seemed…she had only been married for half an hour. Gods she seemed so off."

"Why don't I think it was entirely her idea?"

"You're not the only one who's considering that possibility."

Both of them thought about Ellen Tigh's involvement in it, before going back to the moment. Bill rested both hands on Laura's legs covered underneath the blanket and looked up at her.

"I wanted to tell you before Ellen started bragging about it."

Laura shook her head gently, refusing to let the tears that wanted to fall do so. "I'm a hypocrite. With me kissing Richard most of the time…I shouldn't be…"

"I feel jealous when I think of you two together, but its not as if you enjoy kissing that son of a bitch, like I didn't enjoy kissing Carolanne. But, if you are a hypocrite, then you're a cute hypocrite, and mine nonetheless." Bill kissed her hand and stood up. Looking at the plate of toast beside her, he shook his head. "I'll order us some real food, you put something good on the TV."

Noodles with various meats and sauces arrived half an hour later, and Bill happily took the order and paid the man. Inside, they watched an old psychological thriller that was on the television, with their food on their laps and Laura snuggled up to Bill. She was wearing his Colonial Fleet jacket tossed over an old t-shirt of hers, and the former Commander had to admit she looked damn adorable in it.

X

"Wakey wakey sleepyhead."

She could hear a voice, but she didn't want to listen to it. It was a voice that invaded her dreams a lot of the time, but if she listened to it now it would bring her out of the warm paradise that she currently inhabited. As she rolled onto her back, she could feel fingers slipping under her nightgown and pulling it ever higher, but it didn't wake her from her sleep. It was only when a pair of extremely cold hands rested atop her breasts that Laura jolted from sleep and whacked her head into Bill's.

"Ow."

"Teach you for waking me like that."

His smirk said that he wasn't sorry at all, and he soon left the room shouting something about breakfast. Laura pulled her nightgown down to cover herself and went down to her kitchen. It was Friday, and it was soon coming to the last day that her and Bill would see each other regularly. Richard was back tomorrow night for a masquerade Ball being held by the Admiralty, so she would be expected to attend at his side. Sometimes life sucked.

Going into her kitchen, she saw that Bill was hard at work and cooking her a proper breakfast, no peanut butter in sight. Sitting at the table, Laura happily ate her plate of food. Bill was quite a good cook.

"Where are we going today?"

"Furniture shopping."

"Did I hear you right?"

"Yeah. We're going furniture shopping together, I need some new things for the house and I figured we could pick them out together."

Laura looked to Bill, quietly taking in what he had just said. "Bill…"

"We're furniture shopping. Together. As a couple." He smiled over the paper and clasped her hand with his over the table. She couldn't deny him anything at that moment.

They travelled a long way to do so, but they finally found a town where the people didn't know or didn't care who the President's fiancée was. It was a big enough town to get lost in, but not a big enough town to qualify for a hounding media experience. Laura felt happy to be with Bill, even if she had to wear a pair of dark glasses to hide her identity. Bill had laughed when she had presented them with a flourish and put them on, he believed she didn't need them.

The first place they went to was a large furniture shop where they hoped to find a decent sofa. Bill was looking at redecorating his living room, and he wanted Laura's input. She didn't have the heart to tell him that she probably wouldn't live to see the finished house. Still, they tried out various sofas, Bill liking the ones that Laura thought were tacky, and Laura loving the ones Bill thought were too feminine.

"I like this one."

"Its okay, I guess," Laura replied, sitting on the chair of a three-piece blue fabric sofa. It had quite nice material. In agreement, Bill went over to purchase the new sofa and two chairs. Outside the shop, Bill treated Laura to lunch in a little café where they talked about inconsequential things like his book and the garden. Afterwards, they headed to another place to look for a new bed.

"I like this one, it feels good."

"Me too."

After twenty minutes in the shop, they had found the bed they liked. Leaning down on the mattress, Laura smiled at Bill before hooking one leg over his and kissing him deeply. He returned the kiss eagerly until a shop assistant came over and told them off.

"Oops."

"Come on, let's pay for this one and go home. Picon game on the tube tonight, I've got some money on it."

"Yes sweetheart," Laura smirked, putting both arms around Bill's as they made their way to the shop assistant. He gave her a frown at the pet name, which made her laugh even harder.

X

Alex didn't know why she had decided to do this alone, but she was now on her way to speak to Ellie's parents. She knew she should have invited Starbuck or Helo or anyone with more experience than her, but Alex didn't want to disturb them. Taking the next turning, Alex drove into the street where they lived only to spot a police car outside the house.

Driving past, Alex parked a little bit up the street so she was out the way of the police car. Turning off the engine, she grabbed the duffel bag from the back seat and started to unbutton her shirt.

Outside the car, Alex straightened her jacket, knowing what she was about to do was considered a felony. She had borrowed one of her father's every day uniforms and stuffed them in a bag in case she needed to pose as an officer. She put on the last of the finishing touches, the wings that she had been given by her father and his Captain pins. She was close to being an officer anyway; she just hadn't made it through that final step yet.

"Hello officer."

The police officer in front of her nodded, giving respect to the Colonial Fleet Captain in front of him. The outfit was complete with her hair tied back in a tight ponytail and a pair of shiny black shoes. Alex turned to the house and inclined her head.

"Trouble?"

"No Captain, no trouble. Just a couple of poor Parents, their daughter's just died."

"Ellie?"

The officer nodded before looking at Alex sceptically. Now it was time to introduce the back-story. "We went to school together, thought I'd check in now I'm in dry dock. Shit. Not the best idea to come visiting today."

"No, I don't think that would be the best idea at all."

As the officers drove away, Alex took a look at the house and returned to her car. Inside, she used her Dad's identification to call the local police station and find out all the details about Ellie's death.

"Yes, thank you. We'll be in touch as soon as we've ruled out a connection with her brother." Thankfully the woman on the other end of the phone didn't know Ellie that well, as Alex was sure she didn't have a brother, especially one who was in the Colonial Fleet.

About an hour later, Helo knocked on the window of her car. She rolled it down and was met with his handsome face. He took one look at her uniform and smirked.

"Nice uniform."

"Needed a cover. Get in."

She drove for about twenty minutes before Alex stopped and turned off the engine. Turning to Helo, she sighed.

"Ellie was murdered. They found her body floating in a river about four miles from here, and all the evidence was washed away."

"When did she die?"

"The girl that I asked gave a rough time and date. Helo, it was in the early hours of the morning just after we caught Adar with his pants around his ankles."

"Be careful Alex, its one thing for him to try and shoot the Old Man and for him to survive, its another for him to kill this girl and dump the body and get away with it."

Alex turned to Helo for a moment and let out a breath. "But it's the truth. I can feel it Helo, he killed her."

Turning back to the road, Alex started the ignition. As she was doing so, she felt a hand atop hers. Helo squeezed it as they drove off.

X

It felt unusual to be on Richard's arm as they climbed down the stairs towards the masquerade party. No one could tell it was them, thankfully. As soon as they were part of the ball, Richard went off to socialise, leaving his bride to be behind. Laura breathed a sigh of relief and headed towards the bar. Ordering the drink with the heaviest alcohol content, she was about to pay with Richard's credit card when a hand in front of her handed over his to pay for the drink.

"Thank you."

"No problem." Gods, she would recognise that voice anywhere. Tom Zarek. Could he recognise her? Oh she hoped not.

Taking a long gulp of her drink, she watched as Zarek adjusted his body language. The men were in sharp tuxedos and the women were in long dresses. The officers among them were wearing their uniforms. Across the ballroom, Laura could spot Lee Adama in his own mask and uniform and she waved at him. He gave a curt nod back. She would have to work on their 'danger' sign.

"You here alone?"

"No."

"Ah. So you're still counting Richard Adar as your partner?" Laura gave him what she hoped was a scathing glance, but that only caused him to laugh.

"Thank you Mister Zarek, but I better go find Richard. Thank you for the drink." She was about to stand up when Zarek encircled her wrist with his hand. It wasn't a vicious gesture, or a possessive one, it was actually quite gentle, which she hadn't been expecting from him.

"One dance, please. In exchange for the drink."

Why couldn't she have had all this interest in her in her earlier years? Men throwing themselves at her when she was younger, men outdoing themselves to get into her pants. _But now_, she mused, _all the men who did were either terrorists or attempted murderers_. _Or handsome former soldiers_. Some of the options weren't as bad as she thought.

Zarek took his position and she joined him reluctantly, and they twirled for a few minutes around the dance floor. It was quite nice, and he was certainly an eloquent dancer. However, as they entered their fourth minute of the song, she found herself getting closer and closer to him and his hand on her behind.

"May I cut in?"

"Yes."

Thank. The. Gods. It was a man in Colonial Fleet uniform, a mask covering his face. Zarek conceded to the man in front of him, not wanting to get into a fight with the officer who obviously wanted to dance with the beautiful redhead. The officer swept Laura up into his arms, slightly closer than she would have liked. However, looking up at the man, she could see bright blue eyes staring back at her.

Bill.

"Do I have to fight off every man in this room just to get close to you?" He whispered in her ear, and Laura just chuckled. Zarek was still watching out of the corner of the room, it would be a bad idea to get too personal in this setting. But still, Laura finished off the rest of the dance with the masked Bill, and the next one too. Lee came over to join them halfway through the evening and they sat with drinks and talked about odd things, mostly about the furniture they had purchased. As a couple.

Towards the end of the evening, Laura found herself and Bill separated and back at Richard's side. Admiral Cain was on the stage, announcing that they would have to make it a regular occasion, although only when she was in dry dock. The guests laughed, and Laura was sure she could see a blonde that looked familiar to her looking adoringly up at the Admiral. Applause was heard, and the Cain stepped down from the stage. Laura thought it was the end of the evening, but Richard patted her hip gently and he ascended to the raised platform.

"Ladies and gentlemen, officers of the Colonial Fleet. I want to thank you for inviting myself and my fiancée Laura here tonight. I have another reason for standing up here right now, and that is for an announcement of a personal nature."

Laura turned around to see that Lee was by her side. She was glad of his presence, because her knees were turning weak. In the crowd, she could pick out Bill and Zarek, both men looking up at Adar.

"In one week, my divorce will be finalised from my wife and I will be a free man. In two weeks, I will be married once again. In two weeks, me and Laura are getting married."

There was rapturous applause throughout the guests, which drowned out the sound of Bill's glass being dropped to the floor and Laura's knees giving out, thankfully being supported by Lee.


	16. Chapter 16

I know some people may have already read this chapter because I accidentally uploaded it with chapter 15 earlier. This is the full and completed version of chapter 16. Happy reading!

**Chapter 16**

_She was blonde, but that was pretty much all he could see from where he stood, happily behind the yellow tape. His car had broken down, and so had he. A good beer and a slice was all he had been after, but a private investigators work was never done, and it seemed that death followed him everywhere. _

_He showed his badge to the police officers, who let him through reluctantly. They were tired, it was late, and there were more people that they would rather keep out instead of a grizzled old detective. Looking down at the body, he didn't gag. He had seen enough of them not to be affected by them anymore, he didn't know whether that was a good thing or not. _

_She had been cute, blonde, bubbly. Now she was dead with bruises around her neck and dumped in a river to wash away any evidence that the killer may have left behind. Smooth. Either an experienced man, or one that watches too many crime shows. Either way, he was disgusted. No one should go out like that. Sucking in a breath, he walked away from the scene and his knees gave out. Maybe these bodies had an effect on him after all. _

X

The group had gotten together at Bill's house, minus Laura. She had been kept close to Richard for all of the last week, doing wedding preparations. Even saying that sentence made Bill feel sick. He hadn't talked to her since the masquerade party. Lee had managed to straighten her up before Richard had come over to see his fiancée, and the death glare that she had given him would have made any man take a few steps back. But poor Adar was so deluded in his feelings for Laura, that he had no idea what that look had meant.

"So Ellie, Adar's assistant slash frak buddy was murdered," Helo announced, and Alex shivered. She didn't want him to talk like that. It was bad enough that someone she knew had been murdered, but Alex was sure there had been so much more to Ellie than just Helo's description.

"Are we sure Adar killed her?" Tigh this time.

"No evidence - that all got washed away. All we have is that he was frakking her when we walked in and she died the morning after."

"Pretty big coincidence," Lee stated, looking towards his father.

Bill nodded and took a sip of his water. "We keep this under our hats, make a few discreet enquiries. Either way, Richard Adar just got a hell of a lot more dangerous."

After the meeting, it was only Saul and Bill left. He looked to his old friend and sighed, he looked like crap. Things were going to get worse, he could see that, and Saul didn't know what he could do for his friend. But before that, there was something else he needed to mention.

"Carolanne told Ellen that you were seeing the President's fiancée."

"Yeah…it came up while she was trying to hit on me."

Bill looked up at Tigh who was staring wide-eyed at him. "What part of discreet do you not understand?"

"Excuse me?"

"Bill, Laura is supposed to be the President's fiancée, not your girlfriend. In fact, you are supposed to be with Carolanne and having a blissful second marriage together, not copping off with the redhead Education Secretary!"

"Carolanne won't say anything."

"Are you sure about that? That's not the only thing Bill. I can be pretty sure on the loyalty of most of the former Galactica inmates, but you two have been spending a lot of time together…in public…"

"I can handle it."

"Bill…"

"I'll sort it Saul!"

Saul took one look at his friend, bleary eyed and with a heavy stubble, and realised that this wasn't the time to talk to him about it. Resting an apologetic hand on Bill's shoulder, Saul left. Inside the house, Bill sighed and went over to his bookcase to pull out the ambrosia. It was looking at the paper nearby that he realised that there was a Picon game on tonight and he had tickets. He and Laura were supposed to be going together. _Maybe we still could_, he mused, and put the bottle back on the shelf.

X

D'Anna watched as Cavil looked through the pictures and sighed. He then gave a loud groan and threw the pictures across the desk.

"When were those taken?"

"About two weeks ago. They were 'furniture shopping'," D'Anna sneered as she sat opposite Cavil. She watched the lead Cylon as a vein pulsed in his head, anger infecting all his circuits. He stood up and looked out the window onto Caprica City.

"How are we supposed to keep Adar from finding out if they keep going 'shopping'? Who goes 'furniture shopping' with a dead woman anyway?" Cavil asked the air before banging both hands on the glass.

D'Anna nodded with his assessment. After Adar had tried to kill Bill Adama and that didn't deter him from seeing Laura Roslin, Cavil decided to take matters into his own hands. Cavil's plan was to use a healthy Roslin as the key to keeping Adar under their control. That wouldn't work if the idiot found out that the redhead politician was having a very ill conceived affair with an ex soldier. So Cavil had employed his Cylons as security guards, had used one of the Three models to make sure the press was subdued and had agents in the government building to make sure any paperwork which said differently than what Cavil wanted was burnt. It was a hard task, but a necessary one. Adar would win the election, and they would need his relationship with Roslin to thrive before burning it to a crisp.

"Maybe we should concentrate on Zarek. If we expose them, then that should give the Presidency to him," said an Eight in the corner, reviewing the Adama/Roslin paperwork.

"Well that wouldn't work, because we don't have anything on him apart from the obvious! Leave me be, all of you." Cavil scrunched up his nose, and the Eight left the room, shortly followed by D'Anna who gave her a scathing glance.

"Maybe you could do something useful. Check on Leoben and the Pilot will you? Make sure everything is going well for Sharon's birth?" D'Anna swept away with that statement, leaving the Eight by herself and feeling useless.

X

Laura looked in the mirror, the plain white dress hanging around her frame. Somewhere along the line she had lost weight, and the dress that she had thought would fit perfectly now didn't. It was a shame; it was a beautiful if simple dress that would have looked lovely with the right smile. Now all it had as accessories were empty eyes and a hollow face.

"Are you alright Ms Roslin?" asked one of her guards. She thought she had left that part of Adar's scheme when she took him back, but now that the date had been set, apparently they were a requirement.

"Thank you Mr Doral, I'm fine." He was a nice man, a little odd but at least he smiled, unlike her other two bodyguards.

She had always dreamed about her wedding day, the white dress and the veil, the flowers and the feasts. When she was a child she had wanted to marry a handsome man who would whisk her off her feet. Her mother would be crying next to her, her father would hand her over to her husband. Her sisters would be bridesmaids and she would share every step of the journey with them. Now, all that she had was an empty mirror, an empty face and an empty side of the guest list. The only friends she had were Bill's, and they were most certainly not invited.

"Ms Roslin?"

"I'm fine. I'm coming." She turned away from the mirror, not wanting to look in her eyes and see the disappointment, hatred and disgust for herself and for Richard reflected back at her.

X

_It only took a moment, but really that was all they needed. His hands were deep in that luscious hair of hers, dragging her mouth closer and closer until they were one body, one person. She would be leaving soon, leaving to see _him_. He didn't want her to go, didn't know what would happen if she went but knew that she had to. _

_Her kiss drove him insane, the taste of her on his tongue reminded him what it was like to be truly alive and he thanked the Gods that he had a chance to experience that. He loved her, he knew that. He hadn't told her yet, he knew that her emotions would be clouded, that she didn't need his feelings to cram in another box. _

_When this was all over, when the Mayor was behind bars and the woman in front of him was all his, he would kiss her and whisk her away to some beach resort where they could make love in the sand, and enjoy the sunshine. Yeah, that's what he would do. And right there and then he would tell her the truth about who he was. She would hate him initially, slap him probably, and if she tried to leave he would fight for them. But she would know the truth, and she would know his feelings, and that would be life and it would be love. _

_They just needed to get through the next twenty-four hours in one piece, and they would be together. _

X

The sound of the crowd enveloped them, and Laura felt happy. She could feel the presence of Bill's hand in hers and enjoyed the sound and the atmosphere. It was just what she needed to cheer herself up after the past week and a half, a Pyramid game. Laura had been so happy to get Bill's call, and with a little help from Lee to escape her guards, she was by Bill's side like it should be.

"Glad you came?" he asked as they found their seats, and she nodded. She was wearing one of his jackets over her shirt, and he looked pretty dashing in his own collared shirt. He cleaned up well, they both had for tonight. With the wedding only a few days away, it would most likely be the last time they would ever see each other. But they didn't dwell on that, not at that moment. Later, in a rush of tears and a movement of bodies they would have their last night together. But not before. They were determined to enjoy tonight.

Which is why they came with an entourage. Lee and Kara stood hooting on one side of them, while Helo and Saul also joined in with the cries. Paula and Ellen had politely rebuffed their invitations. It was Picon Panthers against the Caprican Buccaneers, which meant that between the group of them there were some strong-minded opinions.

"You idiot! Throw the damn ball!"

"Come on Panthers!"

"Buccaneers, where's your frakking game?" Kara yelled to the team, and was responded with a yell from one of the players.

"If you give me your phone number I'll play better!" hooted one of the team, a strong built brown haired man with plenty of energy. Helo reminded Starbuck of his name, Samuel T Anders, one of the better players of the Buccaneers. She crowed back at him, enjoying the seemingly jealous look on Lee's face when she did.

However, it didn't do them any good, because the Panthers won the game. Laura was clapping along with the crowd when she was brought into Bill's happy embrace. Spurred on by his team winning and the energy of the crowd, Bill kissed her. It was a deep and passionate kiss, and Laura felt herself drown it.

_"Panthers fans are damn happy with the result. Check out that couple, obviously they didn't eat before the game!"_

Bill and Laura were still entwined in each other, the energy of the game and something else adding to the fire. It was only when Adama was shoved in the back by Tigh that he paid attention to something other than Laura. Looking to the big screen, Bill realised that he and Laura were there for the entire crowd to see.

_"But hey, we've got a couple of guests of honour here tonight. Both presidential candidates: Richard Adar and Tom Zarek!"_

Laura felt like she was going to faint. Looking to the screen she saw Tom Zarek smiling and waving to the crowd like he had already won the Presidency, and maybe he had. She also saw Richard, his knuckles white as he gripped his legs and tried to smile.

They were frakked. Absolutely one hundred percent frakked.

She couldn't deal with this, couldn't take this in. She needed to breathe. Laura took one look at Bill and realised that she couldn't concentrate, her boxes were failing and things were blending and she couldn't keep it together. So she ran. Ran out of the crowd, ran out of the arena, ran as far as she could.

Outside the stadium, Laura started crying against the wall. Gods, what was she going to do now? She could hear some commotion, and turning towards it, she could see Richard Adar coming out of the stadium doors flanked by press and his bodyguards. Seeing Laura, he walked straight over to her and swept her up in his arms, holding her tight.

"Its okay Laura, its over now." He whispered to her, and held her tight. Addressing the press, he adopted an official tone while still holding onto his love. "The man inside was an ex partner of Laura's. He hasn't dealt with our engagement very well, and as you can see, is determined to spoil our special day. But, I can assure the public and my fiancée that nothing will. Nothing."

He then turned to Laura and kissed her in front of the cameras, gently and delicately. Adar then hugged her, turning her head to his right so he could face the cameras and keep her face hidden. "I got a call from his ex wife today. He seems to think that the two of you are still some sort of item. Gods, will that man ever let you go?"

Laura felt it was a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Inside the stadium, Bill watched on the large screen as the live footage from outside came on. He watched Richard Adar kiss Laura, and denounce him as some sort of stalker.

"Son of a bitch."

Bill moved to go outside and kick ten shades out of the President in retaliation for a hell of a lot of things, but thankfully Tigh and his son managed to hold him back before he could do anything that would land him in prison. As his friends stopped him, Tom Zarek walked past and gave Adama a smirk.

"Nice try. But these things you have to do with class." He straightened his tie and winked at Bill as he walked past, and Starbuck and Helo had to get involved to prevent the former Commander from beating on the other Presidential candidate.

When he got home the first thing Bill did was find a bottle.

X

_He kneeled down to the ground, the earth still freshly dug beneath his fingertips. Her grave, how he had hoped never to see it in his right mind but here it was. He should have protected her more, kept her safe and out of harms way. But in the end it wasn't the bastard that he had been hunting that had taken her away from him, but the disease that had been eating away at her body, but never her spirit. _

_He remembered the feel of her, the touch of her, the taste of her. He begged the Gods to bring her back, even if it was just for an hour, a day, a minute so he could just say goodbye to her properly. So he could kiss her goodbye and tell her that he would come to her soon. But first he had to take down that bastard that they called a Mayor. Once that was done he could stop, he could return to her, but he had to finish that first. For the blonde girl in the gutter, for the redhead in the hospital bed and for all those that would come after. _

_He would pay, and he would pay dearly for what he did to her, more than any disease ever could have. _

X

Two Days Later

She liked the park; it was a refreshing place to be. Alex calmed her thoughts and listened to the breeze. When she had been a child, she so had wanted to be a leaf in the breeze, blowing in her wind like her father.

_Not going to be long soon, kid._

Her father was getting worse, and it wouldn't be long before he would end up being just what he always wanted to be, a leaf in the breeze, floating along with no body to hold you down. Alex fingered the wings that her father had given her; it was becoming a habit that she wanted to break.

"Hey."

It was Billy, just the person she needed. He sat next to her and she leant her head against his shoulder, the tears starting to fall. All he did was hold her, kissing her head and stroking her hair to comfort her. He was her rock and she needed him so badly.

"Its okay, it's going to be okay."

It wouldn't be, her father was her world and without him things would be a tiny bit dimmer in her universe. But then there was Billy, and he would be there, he would be her light. There was light, real light from something shiny.

"Not exactly how I imagined proposing, but I thought maybe it was time that your family got a bit bigger."

Alex looked up at Billy, sweet Billy who loved her more than anything and she couldn't imagine anything more than him and her. He was holding out a simple engagement ring, his job didn't pay that much, and he had probably spent most of his wages buying that for her.

"I love you Alex. Marry me?" It was simple, and it was beautiful. Alex kissed him gently, letting her lips linger to savour the moment. "Was that a yes or a no?"

"Yes. A most definite yes." He held her again then, and placed the ring on her finger. They continued to stay like that, holding on in the sunshine in bright happiness and on the outskirts of the grief that was threatening to invade. Whatever happened, Alex knew that she would have Billy, and that was enough.

X

Bill was getting his post, noting the way that the planet seemed to be constantly moving. He grabbed a couple of letters, but had gotten mixed about his directions, because he bumped into Emma. She still looked pretty, she still looked happy, and she still didn't look like Laura.

"Sorry Emma," Bill slurred as he tried to look like he was in one piece. It was three in the afternoon and he was drunk.

"Its fine. Are you okay?"

"Oh I'm great. Frakking great."

Bill started to turn around and head back to his house when Emma's words stopped him cold. "Is it about her? Laura?"

They ended up in her house, a flannel over Bill's head to try and sober him up, although he was sure that when he went back home he would find the first bottle he could find and drink it. There was a glass of water with some alka seltzer in it, but he didn't want to drink it. Emma was sitting on the edge of her chair, looking down at the floor. Bill felt sorry for her, there had been the chance of a relationship between them and in the end he had ignored her for Laura.

"When did you figure it out?"

"You two haven't exactly been keeping things secret, now have you?"

"Frak. I just…I've never felt that way about anyone before."

"Anyway, it was none of my business, I didn't know if it was Laura exactly, I only saw her from a distance at the beginning. But the night that you two kissed outside the house, I knew it was her. Laura's my friend, I didn't want to hurt her, and I knew that if I did anything stupid like going to the press then it would. Her business is her business."

Bill nodded and squeezed Emma's hand in thanks. "Doesn't matter now anyway. She's marrying the son of a bitch."

"From what I know of Laura Roslin, she won't be forced into anything that she doesn't want to do."

X

The huge hotel ballroom was decorated in white and black, tasteful and elegant but so monochrome. _Would a bit of colour kill that man_, Laura thought to herself, sighing as she watched her fiancé sort out the last of the little details before their wedding. It had been so quick that she could barely think, and she was glad of that fact. The feast day had been yesterday, but thankfully Laura had excused herself for most of that. She had been feeling worse and worse since the damn ball, and she had slept for twelve hours straight, even though she had woken up feeling even worse. The Pyramid Game hadn't helped, and the loss of Bill by her side made her feel terrible.

"Its not too late to back out," said a voice in her ear, and Laura was pleased to see that it was Billy. He looked at her with such pity, Laura felt like she would throw up.

"It's complicated Billy."

"You don't love him, you love Adama. What part of that makes marrying the President right?" Billy asked her in his unfailing logic and his nature to see the world in black and white.

"Have you proposed yet?"

"Yes. She said yes." Laura hugged Billy and congratulated him on being newly engaged. He left her alone with her thoughts, and his, as she looked on the scene with the same disgust as before.

X

Bill sat at his desk, thinking about what was going to happen in a few hours. The woman he loved, the woman he had tried so hard to keep safe without sacrificing their relationship, would be marrying Richard Adar. Bill cursed whatever Gods he could think of and banged the glass of ambrosia down on the table.

"Frakking Adar. Frakking Zarek."

He tossed some more of the green liquid back and howled. He had been such a fool, such a stupid fool. He should have done something, enacted the plan sooner, done anything. Maybe he should have killed Adar.

In the end it wouldn't have mattered, Laura was dying and he would still lose her. Bill hurled the bottle of ambrosia at the wall and stared at it running down to the floor. Right next to the green puddle was his typewriter.

His manuscript. The manuscript that he had tried to write to keep himself busy, to keep everything in his head about Richard Adar. Bill didn't know he had been closer to the truth; the little frakker _was_ capable of murder. Going over to it, Bill grabbed the manuscript and dumped it into the bin. Tipping the remnants of his glass of ambrosia in with it, Bill felt tears fall as he managed to fumble with his father's old lighter.

Suddenly the phone rang. He didn't want to answer it, didn't feel he could answer it. He had to go through with it, the last little bit of the Adar scheme finished with. He couldn't get the scent of her out of his pillow, the feel of her out of his skin, the sight of her out of his head. This would help. Burning the last shred of anything that had her name to it in his house. Until the furniture came. Until he read in the paper she died.

He picked up the phone, staving off his own execution because he realised that without her that was what it would be.

"Hello?"

X

She was wearing her white dress, sitting out in the garden. Everyone was inside, preparing for the ceremony that was about to take place. Laura was by herself, her red hair draped over her gown, and tears running down her face. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Richard.

"Nervous?"

Laura choked back a laugh. Nerves were the last thing she felt. She wanted to cry, to beg him to let her go. She didn't want the last few weeks, for that was all she had, to be with the man, the monster in front of her. He sat down beside her and tried to hold her hand. It took everything in Laura not to pull away, but in the end that still wasn't enough.

She couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't waste the last few moments of her life with Richard Adar. She owed what had come before it that.

"Laura?"

"Richard I can't do this anymore. I can't marry you."

He had the decency in him to look shocked. Maybe he was, but then Laura had a theory that he didn't feel anything anyway. He tried to touch her but she couldn't bear it.

"Haven't you figured it out Richard? I don't love you."

"Yes you do. You love me, you came back to me…" his words were shaking now, he couldn't get them out. If you had asked her two years ago if she could ever hurt Richard Adar, Laura would say that it was impossible. But looking at him, Laura realised that she had.

"No. I've been sleeping with Bill Adama. I _love_ Bill Adama. Not you. Never you."

Richard jerked and stood up. "But I had…Ellen Tigh…"

"We knew she worked for you. Bill bought her off."

He turned around to look at her, his face screwed up in anger and hate. Laura couldn't bear to look at it, but she knew that she had to stomach it out. "I can't marry you Richard."

She stood up and made her way to leave. Richard reached for her and grabbed her arm, ripping her back into him. "You're not leaving!"

Laura had had enough. She turned around and punched Richard, smacking his jaw as hard as she could. No man would ever touch her like that again, especially not the man in front of her. While he was too stunned from the fact that she had hit him, Laura stumbled out of the hotel and into the nearest taxi. She needed to think, she needed to get her head together. She needed…

"Bill."

X

He turned to the Caprica City river walk, and he spotted her. She was wearing a white dress, what he thought to be her wedding dress. She was nursing her arm, and her feet were sunk into the water. She looked happy, pleased with herself. Rushing over to her, Bill ignored the stench of ambrosia on his shirt, the grotty feeling he felt. All that mattered was her.

Laura looked up and saw Bill. He looked even worse than she did, but that didn't matter. He was here, and everything was going to be all right.

"Laura."

"Bill."

She was encased in his arms, and he was holding her so tight that she felt like crying. Everything was going to be okay, her and Bill were going to be together at last.

"I told Richard that it was over, that you and me were together."

"Helo and Starbuck…"

"If he tries anything again we'll show him what we've got on him. We're free Bill, we're finally free." Then she kissed him, a deep and passionate kiss like she was struggling to find a lifeline. He gave her one, the taste of ambrosia and him mixed in together. Things were going to be okay, they were going to be okay. Things were going black, but she had her eyes closed. She couldn't feel Bill anymore.

Bill held Laura close to him, but he stiffened when she felt her go limp in his arms. He knew she must be tired, but this wasn't right. Turning to her, he realised that she had passed out. Moving her down to the floor, he splashed some water on her, hoping that she would wake up. Bill checked her pulse and found that it was weak and unsteady.

"Laura? Laura?"

She was cold to touch.

This story is based on real and true events


End file.
